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Mud tubesUnlike ants, termites do not ramble around on the ground surface or outside 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" that they build from soil, wood particles and other materials. You will find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or different 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 gonethey may have simply abandoned this particular tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, and it can be another indication of current action. 'Old' tubes are dry and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which could be observable for decades (an indication that a home had termite activity at any time).

Tubes which are found on ceilings or on upper levels of a building may indicate you have an aboveground ("airborne") infestation, i.e., the termite colony actually resides in the building and the termites are traveling up from the soil. Mud tubes built through an aboveground colony normally 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 thorough inspection may require elimination of siding or interior wallboards, etc.. More importantly for you, these aboveground infestations cannot be controlled using the customary soil treatment (see below) and therefore are generally excluded from 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 of termites as feeding/injuring wood only. Termites really feed on virtually 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 could tunnel through non-cellulosic substances, such as plastic and foamboard.

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In fact, the amount of harm that termites cause depends on many advice aspects. In regions with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily stop. 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 usually takes about 3-8 decades. .

There's absolutely no accurate method for determining the era of recently found harm. You need some reference point, i.e., some point in time when it was known there was no harm to this specific wood. That can be one reason why annual inspections (and keeping your records of these inspections) are important. .

NOTE: These inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or damage in areas which are not insured or not readily 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.

In case you've got a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company immediately and arrange for them to take a look at the issue. Should you not have 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 period of time, so spending a couple of extra days or even a few weeks will not make any actual difference in terms how much damage occurs. .

Can there be damage that should be repaired or at least examined by a contractor or engineer before control steps are performed

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood may kill the termites which you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it protect your home from future 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 approximately 4-6" wide. For houses with crawlspaces, the dirt along the interior foundation wall must be treated within 4 ft of identified signs of termite activity. In some cases, the soil around supports (for example, piers) underneath the house can also be treated.

When applied 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 home, for instance, a garage floor, or the slab of an earth-filled porch.