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Mud tubesUnlike ants, termites do not ramble around on the soil surface or outside in the open. They will either tunnel through the soil or into wood (or other material) or else travel inside pencil-size (or larger)"mud tubes" that they build from soil, wood particles and other materials. You will find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or other areas of the house.

Break open the tubes to see if termites continue to be busy. An empty tube doesn't necessarily mean that termites are gone; they may have just abandoned this specific tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, which is another indication of current action. 'Old' tubes are sterile and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which could be observable for decades (an indication that a house had termite activity at any time).

Tubes which are found on ceilings or on upper levels of a building may indicate that you have an aboveground ("airborne") infestation, i.e., the termite colony really resides in the building and the termites are traveling from the ground. Mud tubes constructed by an aboveground colony usually contain substances other than dirt, e.g., wood and sheet rock or anything the termites are feeding on.

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In such situations, a thorough inspection may necessitate elimination of siding or interior wallboards, etc.. More importantly for you, these aboveground infestations cannot be controlled with the usual soil treatment (see below) and therefore are typically excluded from a termite contract warranty. In these situations, finding and correcting the moisture problem is the very first step to eliminating the termites. .

We tend to think about termites as feeding/injuring wood only. Termites really feed on virtually anything which contains cellulose, the main component of wood, including wood paneling, paper products, cardboard boxes, art canvases, the newspaper covering of sheet rock, carpeting, etc.. While foraging and feeding, they could tunnel through non-cellulosic substances, such as plastic and foamboard.

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In fact, the amount of harm that termites cause depends on many aspects. In regions with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily stop. If the termites are well-protected from colder temperatures (e.g., underneath a slab), then activity may continue year-round. From a practical perspective, serious termite damage usually takes about 3-8 years. .

There is no accurate method for determining the age of recently discovered damage. You need some reference point, i.e., some point in time when it was known that there was no damage to this specific wood. That can be one reason why annual inspections (and keeping your records of those inspections) are important. .

NOTE: These inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or damage in areas that are not covered or not readily seen, such as inside walls. On the other hand, the inspections can reveal conditions that might suggest that damage does exist and further investigation is needed.

In case you've got a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company quickly and arrange for them to check out the problem. If you do not have a termite contract, call 2-3 (or more) companies and have each one inspect your house and offer you the specifics of their findings and any recommendations for a plan of action to fix any termite problems that they found.

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Termites do not cause significant damage in a short time period, so spending a couple of added days or even a couple weeks will not make any real difference in terms just how much damage happens. .

Is there damage That Needs to Be repaired or examined by a contractor or engineer before control steps are done

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood may kill the termites which you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it protect your home from future attacks by termites. The most common sort of termite treatment involves a"trench and treat" in which a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is placed on the soil surrounding critical areas of your residence.

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The dirt is trenched 6" deep and approximately 4-6" wide. For homes with crawlspaces, the soil along the interior foundation wall must be treated at least within 4 feet of identified signs of termite activity. In some go to these guys circumstances, the soil around supports (such as piers) underneath the house can also be treated.

When applied correctly, this treatment creates a continuous chemical barrier that should prevent termites from reaching the foundation and piers in your house. .

Concrete slabs that attach to the home, as an example, a garage floor, or the slab of an earth-filled porch.