Termites 101

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Termites 101

• DID YOU KNOW
• there is no homeowners insurance that covers
  damage from subterranean termites?
• If you want your home covered against termite
  infestation, you have to secure a protection plan
  with a state certified company.
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• not all damages to homes are caused by
  termites?
• Rodents, moisture old house borers, carpenter
  bees and ants, powder post beetles and faulty
  ventilation can cause significant damages to
  homes.
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• annual inspections can save a homeowner much
  grief and money?
• A well-trained technician in the employ of a
  caring community service company will advise you
  of a problem before it becomes a trauma.
•  
• you could check the credentials of the company
  with whom you are doing business?
• A company proud of their service to the community
  in which we all live will be most happy to
  provide any and all affiliations.
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How do termites infest homes?
The damage seen in these slides has come from
homes in the Tidewater area.
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Termites Invade through dirt-filled porches, as
seen below, between brick veneer block, from
inside untreated hollow block piers to name a few.
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Termite shelter tubes, originating from dirt
filled porch, attached to wooden beams in crawl
space.
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Termites will eat wooden joists and beams leaving
only galleries in their wake. This joist
crumbles easily in your hands.
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Termites build mud tunnels, attaching them to
hollow blocks to obtain access to wood members in
the crawl space.
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Termites are sneaky!! Slab homes are not immune.
Termites got into this home behind the water
heater. There they were able to continue to
forage unchallenged because no one knew they were
there.
Termites got into this home behind the siding and
ate from ground to 2nd floor before being
detected.
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Termite shelter tubes hanging from floor joists.
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Termite shelter tubes were hidden between the
insulation and the wood sub-flooring. Their
activity was unnoticed until the insulation was
pulled away.
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This wood is riddled with termite galleries. It
will no longer support any weight and will easily
crumble. This damage was found under insulation
the termites had been active for a while, eating
all wood in their path.
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Termite damage in slab homes is usually hidden
from sight.
Termite infestation at the bottom of a garage
door.
Termite infestation showing in trim wood around
fireplace
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When left unchecked termites will attach their
mud tunnels to almost anything, allowing them
access to untreated wood in your home!
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What appears to be a stain on the concrete block
is in fact termites building shelter tubes. They
have found an area, sometimes as small as 1/32th
of an inch, to build shelter tubes to travel back
and forth between their food source and the
ground which provides them with water and a
constant temperature.
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Expansion joints in slab garage floors allow
termites clear access to search for new food
sources in and around your home.
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One sign of termites in a slab home is shelter
tubes as pictured below. Termites infested the
top of this door jamb.