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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 travel inside pencil-size (or bigger )"sand tubes" they build from dirt, wood particles and other substances. You will find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or other areas of the home.

Break open the tubes to determine if termites continue to be busy. An empty tube doesn't necessarily mean that termites are gone; they might have simply abandoned this specific tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, which can be another indication of current action. 'Old' tubes are dry and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which could be visible for years (an indication that a house had termite activity at any 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 really lives in the building and the termites are traveling from the ground. Mud tubes built through an aboveground colony normally contain materials other than soil, 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 removal of siding or interior wallboards, etc.. More importantly for you, these aboveground infestations cannot be controlled using the usual soil treatment (see below) and therefore are generally excluded by a termite contract warranty. In such situations, finding and correcting the moisture problem is the first step to eliminating the termites. .

We tend to think about termites as feeding/injuring wood only. Termites really feed on virtually anything that 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 materials, such as plastic and foamboard.

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In reality, the amount of damage that termites cause depends on many aspects. In regions with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily cease. When 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 generally takes approximately 3-8 decades. .

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 there was no damage to this specific wood. That is one reason why annual inspections (and keeping look at here your records of these inspections) are important. .

NOTE: All these inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or damage in areas that are not insured or not easily seen, such as inside walls. On the other hand, the inspections can reveal conditions that may suggest that damage does exist and additional investigation is needed.

If you have a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company quickly and arrange for them to check out the issue. If you do not own a termite contract, call 2-3 (or more) companies and have every one inspect your house and provide you with the details of their findings and any recommendations for a plan of action to fix any termite problems they found.

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

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

Only spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood can kill the termites which you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it shield your house from future attacks by termites. The most common type of termite treatment involves a"trench and cure" in which a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is placed on the soil surrounding crucial areas of your residence.

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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 must be treated within 4 feet of identified signs of termite activity. In some circumstances, the soil around supports (for Learn More Here example, piers) underneath the house can also be treated.

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

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