Termites
Termites are important wood-destroying pests in
Michigan. The word "Termite" comes from the Latin word
Termes, meaning wood-worm. Most Michigan termites are
subterranean (under ground forms) and must have contact
with moist ground in which to build their nests.
The food of subterranean termites is largely cellulose
and comes from many sources. In fact, termites will eat
all materials made from plants or cellulose-containing
plant products.
Subterranean termites are most abundant in moist,
warm soils containing plenty of food. Such conditions are
found beneath poorly ventilated buildings, scraps of
lumber, stumps covered by fill, grape roots (usually in
old abandoned vineyards), or any part of a wood structure
close to the ground, such as porches, foundation sills,
or steps.
Termites travel from nests in the soil through a
brownish, corklike tube to their food supply. When,
through control measures, the contact between the nest in
the ground and the wood upon which they feed is broken,
termites die.
Termites feed on the inside of sills, studding,
floors, subfloors, casings, baseboards, and other wood
structures. They tunnel these parts of a house leaving in
many cases only thin shelves of the harder part of the
wood. Inside the galleries, the wood is rough, tooth-
notched, and occasionally coated with yellowish-corky,
muddy material which is often black-specked.
Termites rarely appear on the surface except when
they are winged and swarming, usually in April or May
following a warm rain. However, they can occur in summer
and fall. If the wood upon which they are feeding is
broken through, they immediately seal the opening with a
brownish, cork-like material. Termites do not leave
sawdust as do powder-post beetles and carpenter ants.
Also, there are no small openings to the outside of the
wood as in the case of powder-post beetles.
Control
Home owners should be constantly on the lookout for
termites. An easy way to locate termite damage in sills,
floor joists, and studding is to plunge an ice pick or
screwdriver into the wood. If the wood is solid, the ice
pick or screwdriver probably will not go very far into
it. On the other hand, it the pick enters easily, you
should inspect all wood carefully for termites. Also,
look for mud tubes from the soil, across the foundation
to the wood. These can be seen in crawl spaces or
basements - across foundations or in block voids.
When you find insect-damaged wood, be absolutely sure
the insects are still present and, if so, whether or not
they are termites. In any case, do not panic! Determine
the extent of the damage by probing with an ice pick or
screwdriver as mentioned above.
When a termite infestation is present, you have 2
choices: (1) rely on the services of a qualified
experienced termite control operator or (2) attempt to
control them yourself. The first choice, in most cases,
is preferred. "Do it yourself" termite control is seldom
satisfactorily achieved.
While termite control can be fairly expensive, the
cost is usually justified in the special equipment such
as concrete drills, pressure applicators, etc., technical
knowledge and experience, large volumes of chemical and
time required to properly apply the treatments. Special
attention should be given to termite-proofing chemicals
and structures built into buildings on "floating"
concrete slabs. If the slab cracks, even as little as
1/32 of an inch, the termites are afforded a well
protected, hidden, direct route to and from their food
source.
If this is your first encounter with termites, take
your time in selecting a qualified and experienced
termite control company. Termites work slowly and the
chances of the building falling down in an additional 2
to 3 weeks or even months are indeed extremely slim. A
logical way to select a company is to: (1) choose several
companies (2 or more) and establish their credibility
through the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of
Commerce. (2) obtain both damage and cost estimates from
several companies. (3) obtain references from the
companies and check the references as thoroughly as
possible. (4) compare your notes on the various companies
and make your final decision. Above all, do not be
panicked into an immediate "off the cuff" treatment. The
time spent in following the above procedure is time well
spent and necessary when engaging any type of service.
For a complete listing of suggested control options
for all home, yard and garden insect pests contact your
local Extension Service, found under local government in
the phone book.
Read and follow instructions on the pesticide label.
Heed all warnings. Check with your physician if you have
any concerns regarding your personal health risk.