Dampwood termite is a different group of termites. They prefer decaying wood with lots of moisture. These termites are considered as economically significant pests in the states along the cost like Washington and Oregon. However, some termites have been reported in areas not near the coast. Once a home is infested with termites, the infestation can occur at a slow rate since it feeds on damp decaying portions of the house like leaky ceilings and rain-soaked porch. The proper management of these kinds of termite is to control the moisture or leak your house.

Dampwood termite species are distributed in the tropical areas in the Caribbean territories, Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are also found in the Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico. In the sub-tropical areas, they are also found in as far as Orlando.
There are a lot of termite species belonging in this group. Some termite species belonging to the dampwood group are the Pacific dampwood termites, Nevada dampwood termites and Florida dampwood termites.

Pacific dampwood termites are major pest in the Oregon, Washington and Oregon. Nevada dampwood termites, on the other hand, occur in the higher and drier mountainous areas of the Sierras where it occurs as occasional pest in mountain cabins. It has a subterranean habit unlike the Pacific dampwood termite species. It attacks only moist wood. Florida dampwood termites live in damp logs near salt water. These are important pest on buildings near the sea.

The dampwood termite species are larger than the drywood and subterranean termites. In comparison with the other species of termites, the works done in the colony are usually done by immature soldier. Dampwood termites do not have a worker caste. However, how do you know whether the termite infesting in your house belongs to the dampwood or a drywood termite species? They produce fecal pellets just similar to drywood termites but are larger and irregular in shape. Damage on to the wood produces velvety appearance in the galleries.

Infestation of this termite species in buildings is slow. Since these termite species only affect the damp portions of the building, it is fairly easy to manage the infestation. If the infestation is still not severe, replacement of the affected portion can be done or can be repaired. However, if the presence of decaying wood is impossible, treatment of the soil or termite baiting can be done to eliminate these insect pests.