All About Termite Control Products

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

Split open the tubes to determine if termites are still active. An empty tube doesn't necessarily mean that termites are gonethey might have just abandoned this particular tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, and it is another indication of current activity. 'Old' tubes are dry and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which may be observable for decades (an indication that a house had termite activity at some time).

Tubes which are found on ceilings or on top levels of a building may indicate you have an aboveground ("aerial") infestation, i.e., the termite colony actually lives in the building and the termites are traveling from the ground. Mud tubes built through an aboveground colony normally contain materials other than dirt, e.g., wood and sheet rock or anything the termites are feeding on.

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In such situations, a comprehensive 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 generally excluded from a termite contract warranty. In such situations, finding and correcting the moisture problem is the very first step to eliminating the termites. .

We tend to think of termites as feeding/injuring timber 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 reality, the amount of damage that termites cause depends on many aspects. In areas with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily cease. If the termites are well-protected from colder temperatures (e.g., underneath a slab), then activity might continue year-round. From a practical perspective, serious termite damage generally takes approximately 3-8 decades. .

There's absolutely no accurate way of determining the age of recently found harm. You need some reference point, i.e., some point in time when it was known there was no damage to this particular wood. This can be one reason why annual inspections (and keeping your records of these inspections) are important. .

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

In case you have a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company quickly and arrange for them to take a look at the issue. If you do not own a termite contract, telephone 2-3 (or more) companies and have each one inspect your home and offer you the details of their findings and any recommendations for a course of action to fix any termite conditions that they found.

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Termites do not cause significant damage in a brief period of time, so spending a few extra days or even my latest blog post a couple weeks will not make any real difference in terms how much damage happens. .

Can there be damage That Needs to Be repaired or examined by a contractor or engineer before control measures are performed

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of accessible infested wood can kill the termites which you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it shield your home from future attacks by termites. The most common sort of termite treatment involves a"trench and treat" where a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is applied to the soil surrounding crucial areas of your house.

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The dirt is trenched 6" deep and about 4-6" wide. For houses with crawlspaces, the dirt along the interior foundation wall has to be treated within 4 feet of identified signs of termite activity. In some cases, the soil around supports (such as piers) underneath the home are also 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 which attach to the house, as an example, a garage floor, or the slab of an earth-filled porch.