Sunday, January 20, 2008
Identifying an Infestation of Termites and Ants
If you think have termites in your house, it's likely to be Subterranean termites which are the most common type of termite in the US. According to this UMASS publication, Subterranean termites cause about 95% of the termite-related damage in the US. The other types, Drywood and Dampwood are mostly confined to small regions of the country.
This publication is one of the best that I've found to summarize how to identify if your home has termite or carpenter ant infestation. Some of the signs of Subterranean termites include mud tunnels, piles of wings and damaged wood that may sound like a hollow thud when tapped with a hammer. It's interesting to note how wood damaged by ants can look different than wood damaged by termites. Ants leave the tunnels in the wood clean where as the termites leave the tunnels messy looking.
The publication also provides a good summary of treatment options with the trade-offs for bait and barrier systems.
This publication is one of the best that I've found to summarize how to identify if your home has termite or carpenter ant infestation. Some of the signs of Subterranean termites include mud tunnels, piles of wings and damaged wood that may sound like a hollow thud when tapped with a hammer. It's interesting to note how wood damaged by ants can look different than wood damaged by termites. Ants leave the tunnels in the wood clean where as the termites leave the tunnels messy looking.
The publication also provides a good summary of treatment options with the trade-offs for bait and barrier systems.
# posted by Ken @ 3:33 PM 
