• Subterranean termites form colonies in the soil and can damage the wood on your property.termites image by Christophe Fouquin from Fotolia.com
  
  Subterranean termites live in the soil and are found throughout the state of Oklahoma. According to Oklahoma Agriculture, Food and Forestry, subterranean termites cause millions of dollars of damage annually. The three castes of subterranean termites are workers, soldiers and swarmers. Swarmers fly and reproduce to develop the colony, workers maintain the colony and soldiers protect it from predators. Swarmers are attracted to light and swarm during the daytime. There are three types of subterranean termites in Oklahoma.
  
  

Eastern Subterranean Termite

• Eastern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes flavipes) swarm in Oklahoma from March to May. Swarming eastern subterranean termites are dark-brown or black, 3/8 to 1/2-inch long and have two pairs of translucent wings of equal length that break off after swarming. Termites eating above ground must protect themselves with shelter tubes that worker termites make from soil, debris and their saliva. The eastern subterranean worker termite is creamy-white and about 1/4-inch long. The soldier termites protect the colony and have elongated yellowish heads and large jaws. They are 1/4-inch long with creamy-white bodies.
  
  

Arid-Land Subterranean Termite

• The arid-land subterranean termite (Reticulitermes tibialis) swarms in Oklahoma in the spring and fall. These termites do not usually damage homes since they prefer sunny, dry conditions. On rare occasions, they will infest homes. When they do, they prefer areas that are damaged by water. Look for discoloration on walls or ceilings that indicate water leaks from decaying wood because this aids termite infestation. Arid-land termite swarmers are 1/4-inch long with dark brown or black bodies and translucent wings. Soldiers have dark-colored enlarged heads and cream-colored bodies and are 3/8-inch long. Workers have cream-colored bodies and are 3/8-inch long.
  
  

Dark Southeastern Subterranean

• Dark southern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes virginicus) swarm in Oklahoma from March to June. Occasionally, they swarm in the fall. Swarmers have a dark brown body that is 5/16-inch long and translucent wings that are whitish. Soldiers have a rectangular-shaped dark head with a yellowish body and are 3/8-inch long. Workers are 3/8-inches long with a yellowish body. These termites prefer to infest homes.
  
  

Prevention

• Prevent all three subterranean termite types from attacking wood in your home by setting wood-to-soil contacts on masonry blocks or replacing them with pressure-treated wood. There should be two inches of clearance between the house and soil filled porches and planter boxes. Seal plumbing wraps and service utilities with roofing coal tar pitch.
  
  

Control

• Controls measures are the same for all three types of subterranean termites. Look for shelter tubes coming from the soil around your house. Termiticides should be applied to the soil around all wooden structures -- from the structure out to two feet. Common termiticides include fipronil, chlorfenapyr and imidacloprid. These chemicals act on the termite's nervous system, and will kill them within 24 hours. Always follow the instructions on the label when applying termiticides to the soil.