Cockroaches and carpenter ants, like the ones above and below,
are in Orkin Pest Control's guide.

Termites eat your home, but largely go unseen and unrecognized. Do you know what they look like and their habits? That knowledge could save you expensive repair bills.

Julian Yates, the urban entomologist at the University of Hawaii, spends his time educating the community on how to deal with termites. Informational material on pests is available through the university.

Fears about termites and other pests are very real, according to a survey of 1,000 American adults in July conducted by Opinion Research Corp. for Orkin Pest Control of Atlanta.

Termites are not the only bugs to inflict home damage. Carpenter ants, for example, can eat electric wire insulation, which could lead to electrical shorts and fires.

Orkin Pest Control is offering a free pest identification guide by calling 1-800-563-HOUSE.

The guide includes 50 color pictures of pests with detailed descriptions of their appearance and habits.

Termites are on page 9. Subterranean termites cause more damage to homes in the United States than storms and fires combined, the guide reports. Colonies can obtain up to one million members.

Drywood termites need very little moisture to survive. Watch for sawdust-like pellets. Colonies may contain up to 2,700 members.

Orkin also has a video on termites, and separate booklets on termites, ants and fleas which are available by calling the same 800 telephone number.