Termites! Now What Do I Do?
After a little sweeping and a little floor cleaning, I was determined to keep a close watch, to see if the little devils made another appearance. I didn’t need to wait long. A month or two later, I discovered what appeared to be a streak of red clay on the inside surface of an unfinished basement wall, ranging from ground level (the ceiling of that room) to the basement floor. As I cleaned away the clay, I noticed that it was in the shape of a tube, and there were very small white insects traveling from one end to the other. That was it. I had termites.
I scraped away the tube and applied a termite spray that I bought at the hardware store, and then I called a pest control company for an appointment. Before the inspector could get to our house three days later, my little termite friends had rebuilt their tube about half-way down the wall again. I continued to scrape away their hiding place and spray down the wall in that location, but I knew that this was only a temporary fix until the termite professionals could arrive for their assessment,, and eventual treatment. I also checked my bank account, because I was quite sure that this was not going to be inexpensive. But, better to shell out some money now, at first site of termite tracks, than to have structural damage later.
Actually, the termite treatment ended up being cheaper than I planned, but was still several hundred dollars. Considering the risk, and the long-term protection guarantee that I was given with the contract, I was happy to pay it. And in the meantime, I found out some interesting facts about the termite habits, and what has to be done for control.
According to my termite guy, my constant scraping away of the tube in that entry location was a pretty smart move. Except for the swarmers, the working termites can’t be out of the moist ground for more than about 24 hours, and that tube is their protection against the light and the dry air. That little termite tube that was extending in to my house was probably the last short section of what could have been a very long trip for those termites. The colony’s nest may actually be 20 feet under ground, and may be 30 to 40 yards away from the house. The only effective prevention is to treat the soil around the house, and create a barrier between their entry spots and the wood in my house.
In order to adequately treat the house against future termite infestation, the entire periphery of the house, regardless of whether it was soil or cement had to be drilled to a depth of about one foot, with the holes being about one foot apart. The long-lasting poisonous chemical was then introduced into each hole, and then each hole was re-sealed with either dirt or cement, whichever was appropriate.
In spite of my investment, I have continued to be vigilant about watching for the return of termite tubes. Fortunately, I have seen none, but would be quick to call the pest control company if the varmints returned.
Do you know if you’ve seen termites at your house? Remember, winged ants have three sections to their bodies, and termites have only two. Finding loose wings along floor base boards or in window sills is probably a sign of termites. Discovering mud tubes anywhere under your house, in the basement, along walls is the most obvious evidence, and if those tubes are filled with little whitish crawly bugs, you should take action immediately. There are poisons that you can buy to treat your own property, but going with a licensed termite control company with a multi-year guarantee and free yearly inspections is going to be the safest approach.
