Subterranean Termites

Delaying treatment for subterranean termites can lead to significant and costly consequences. Their ability to work silently and hidden within the structure means that by the time you notice obvious signs of infestation, substantial damage may have already occurred to critical structural components

Inspection are required

Let's break down why these treatments are recommended and what they address for this interior Property:

Replacing Damaged Wood Members: This is a critical first step. Wood that has lost its structural integrity due to termite damage can no longer safely support the building's load. Replacing these members ensures the safety and stability of the structure. It also removes a significant food source for any remaining termites.

Tent Fumigation: This is a whole-structure treatment designed to eradicate all active termite infestations within the building, including those in inaccessible areas like inside walls, ceilings, and wood members. The entire building is enclosed in a tent, and a fumigant gas is released, penetrating all wood and killing the termites. This is particularly effective for widespread infestations where the full extent of the damage and termite locations might not be known.

Preventive Treatment to All Exposed Wood Members on Interior: Since the drywall is removed, all the wood framing is exposed. Applying a preventive termiticide to this wood helps protect it from future termite attacks. This treatment can involve spraying or applying a borate-based solution that makes the wood toxic to termites. This is a proactive measure to safeguard the newly replaced wood and other existing wood members.

Perimeter Treatment Around Home (Drilling and Injecting): As we discussed earlier, this creates a chemical barrier in the soil around the foundation. By drilling through concrete slabs and injecting termiticide, and by trenching and treating the soil along the foundation walls in accessible areas, a continuous treated zone is established. This prevents subterranean termites in the soil from reaching the house and also targets any existing termite pathways leading to the structure.

Subterranean termites, living in underground colonies, cause damage to households by seeking out cellulose in wood and other plant-based materials. Their damage exhibits characteristic signs:

Mud Tubes: These are perhaps the most telltale sign. Subterranean termites build pencil-sized tubes made of soil, saliva, and fecal matter to travel above ground, protecting themselves from the open air and maintaining moisture. These tubes can be found along foundation walls, in crawl spaces, on exterior siding, and even inside walls.
Damaged Wood with Honeycomb or Layered Appearance: Unlike some other wood-destroying insects, subterranean termites eat along the grain of the wood, often leaving behind a honeycomb-like or layered pattern. The outer surface of the wood may appear intact, concealing significant internal damage. Subterranean termites generally cause more widespread and rapid damage to households than drywood termites due to several key characteristics:
Subterranean colonies can range from tens of thousands to millions of individuals, whereas drywood colonies typically contain only a few thousand termites.
Subterranean termites nest in the soil and require contact with moisture to survive. This necessitates them to build extensive tunnel systems (mud tubes) to reach wooden structures above ground. These tunnels can spread throughout the foundation

Moisture Dependence: The constant need for moisture drives subterranean termites to seek out and exploit any damp or decaying wood within a structure, further accelerating damage. This can also lead them to areas affected by leaks or poor drainage

Foraging Behavior: Subterranean termites are persistent foragers and will explore widely from their underground colonies to find new food sources. This increases their chances of discovering and infesting multiple wooden components of a house.

Hidden Infestations: Subterranean termites often attack wood from the inside out, following the grain and leaving the outer surface relatively intact until significant damage has occurred. Their mud tubes can also be hidden in crawl spaces or behind walls, making infestations difficult to detect early on. While drywood termites also cause internal damage, their presence is sometimes indicated by the expulsion of frass (pellet-like droppings) from small "kick-out" holes, which can be an earlier warning sign.

Mud Tube

After garage storage areas was clear. This was discovered on the stud boards

interior window header board

subterranean

Wood Rot/Fungus

The effects of conducive conditions can indeed lead to significant structural damage to a building over time. These conditions create an environment that either directly weakens building materials or attracts and supports destructive organisms.

1. Excessive Moisture:

Wood Decay (Rot): Prolonged exposure to moisture promotes the growth of wood-decaying fungi. This fungi breaks down the cellulose and lignin in wood, leading to rot, weakening its structural integrity, and eventually causing collapse. Sources of moisture include leaks (plumbing, roof, windows), poor drainage, high humidity, and condensation.

- Subterranean termites have very thin exoskeletons and are highly susceptible to dehydration. They require a constant source of moisture to survive. Moist wood provides this essential water, making it a desirable habitat and food source.
- Continuous moisture exposure can damage various building materials, including stucco, drywall, and insulation.

Subterranean Termites:

Direct Access to Wood: If the wooden components of the planter box are in contact with the house's wooden structure, it can provide a direct pathway for subterranean termites to access the home. Termites can travel from the soil in the planter box into the wood of the house without needing to build their characteristic mud tubes in open air, making detection more difficult.

Having a subterranean termite perimeter treatment done by drilling through the slab concrete and injecting termiticide into each hole around the building is a common and effective method for creating a protective barrier against these pests. How it Works:

Creating a Treated Zone: Subterranean termites live in the soil and tunnel underground to reach wooden structures. By drilling holes through the concrete slab (typically along the exterior foundation and sometimes interior load-bearing walls or areas of known activity), Trips Exterminating can inject liquid termiticide into the soil beneath and adjacent to the foundation.

located a significant source of subterranean termites underneath a balcony porch, approximately 20 feet away from the house construction Dribs never clean up. The homeowner had noticed termite activity in the front bedroom and called for an a termite inspection, leading to discovery.

Routine inspections are a crucial step in proactively protecting your property from subterranean termites and ensuring it doesn't fall into the category of "at-risk items." By regularly checking for potential problems, you can identify and address conducive conditions before they lead to an infestation.

Early Detection of Conducive Conditions: Inspections allow you to spot and correct issues that make your property attractive to termites. This includes:
- Earth-to-wood contact: Identifying and eliminating any instances where wood directly touches the soil.
- Moisture problems: Locating and fixing leaks, improving drainage, ensuring proper grading, and managing condensation.
- Vegetation and landscaping: Trimming back shrubs and trees from the foundation and adjusting mulch levels.
- Construction flaws: Identifying potential entry points like cracks in the foundation or improperly sealed penetrations.
Early Detection of Termite Activity: Regular checks or Pest control servers from Trips Exterminating can help you spot the early signs of termite presence, such as:
- Mud tubes: Identifying these before they become extensive can indicate a recent infestation.
- Swarmers or discarded wings: Noticing these signals a nearby or active colony.
- Damaged wood: Catching hollow-sounding or slightly damaged wood before it becomes structurally significant

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