Termites Consumer Wood From Within the Home

Sunday, July 8, 2007

I recently found small holes in the wood siding on my house.  Could termites do this?

Termites do not make exit holes in wood.  Instead, they consume the wood from within.  They travel from their underground nests to the wood inside your home through mud tunnels they construct.  There are a number of wood infesting beetles.  Their larvae damage the wood and when they develop into the adult stage, they make exit holes in wood.  Your pest management professional can determine if these holes have been made by a wood boring beetle and if infestations exists.  They will also determine appropriate treatment measures to control these damaging beetles.

I have read that honey bees are disappearing across America.  Is this true and what has caused it?

Yes, many honey bees have disappeared and researchers have not established a firm reason.  Because honey bees pollinate many food crops, this problem cannot be overlooked.  We know that worker bees leave the hive in search of food and they are not returning.  This leaves the other casts of bees to die, including the queen.  If you must use pesticides outside your home, treat late in the evening when honey bees are not actively foraging.  Also use a pesticide that has a short residual life and avoid treating near flowering plants.

Do I have termites in my motor home?

Recently I was contacted by an individual who thought termites or another insect was damaging the walls in her motor home.  She found holes on the shower walls and offered to drive the motor home to the office.  It is common to find ants, mice, and even termites in mobile homes, campers, and boats.  After working with my technicians to inspect her motor home, we found no pests but determined the holes in the shower walls were caused by staples used to install the water-proof wall.  Over time, the water-proof panels worked loose from the staples allowing water behind the walls. This condition, however, can lead to mold and rot which weakens the wood, making it vulnerable to wood-destroying insects.  Motor homes left for extended periods can be hosts to a variety of insect pests and mammals.  

I am building my house next to a lake.  What are my treatment options to prevent termites?

The use of most chemical treatments, in this situation can be extremely risky because traditional termiticides contain label advisory statements that prevent the products use near aquatic life.  Some chemicals are toxic to fish, so extreme care must be taken to avoid runoff and to avoid any conditions where movement of the liquid treatment from the treated area is likely to occur.  For example, if your home is less than 100 feet from the lake, or the landscaping or any side of your new home slopes toward the lake, your pre-construction treatment to prevent subterranean termites would not be with traditional liquid termite chemicals.  In our area, the two most popular methods of protecting your home from termites near a lake are (1) to install a termite bait system around the perimeter of your home after construction and landscaping are completed or (2) to treat the wood framing with a borate-based insecticide/termiticide, like Bora-Care®, while the home is being constructed.  Borates are effective and safe.  Both methods are approved by the International Building Codes as suitable alternatives to soil treatments.

Lee A. Tubbs is the owner of EnviroGuard, Inc.