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Mud tubesUnlike ants, termites do not roam around on the ground surface or out in the open. They'll either tunnel through the soil or into wood (or other stuff ) or else travel inside pencil-size (or bigger )"sand tubes" they assemble from soil, wood particles and other materials. You'll find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or different parts of the house.

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

Tubes that are found on ceilings or on upper levels of a building may indicate you have an aboveground ("aerial") infestation, i.e., the termite colony actually resides in the building and the termites are traveling up from the ground. Mud tubes built through an aboveground colony usually contain substances other than dirt, e.g., wood and sheet rock or whatever 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 using the usual soil treatment (see below) and are typically 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 about termites as feeding/injuring wood only. Termites really feed on almost 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 may tunnel through non-cellulosic materials, such as plastic and foamboard.

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In reality, the amount of harm 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 action may continue year-round. From a practical standpoint, severe termite damage usually takes approximately 3-8 decades. .

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

NOTE: All these inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or harm in areas that are not covered or not readily seen, such as continue reading this inside walls. However, the inspections can reveal conditions that may imply that damage does exist and additional investigation is needed.

In case you've got a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company immediately and arrange for them to check out the problem. If you do not own a termite contract, telephone 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 course of action to correct any termite problems that they found.

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

Is there damage that should be repaired or at least examined by a contractor or engineer before control measures are done

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood may kill the termites that you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it shield additional reading your home from potential attacks . The most common type of termite treatment involves a"trench and cure" where a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is applied to the soil surrounding critical areas of your residence.

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

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

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