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Home > Archive > Pest Control > November 2005 > Definitive way to distinguish termite types (dry wood v subterranean)?
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Definitive way to distinguish termite types (dry wood v subterranean)?
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| LurfysMa 2005-10-31, 1:21 pm |
| I am about to have 2-3 pest control companies examine the house.
Recent remodeling revealed termites. How can I tell whether the
termites are subterranean or dry wood (flying?)? Can they tell by
examining a live termite?
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220@spamex.com
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| In article <k8hcm19mnlofckav4glc8r3sde5uolmg2b@4ax.com>,
invalid@invalid.invalid says...
 I am about to have 2-3 pest control companies examine the house.
Recent remodeling revealed termites. How can I tell whether the
termites are subterranean or dry wood (flying?)? Can they tell by
examining a live termite?
When they opened up the wall for the remodeling..there should of been a
mud material, which would mean subs...an accumulation of loose fecal
pellets would suggest drywoods.
if you have the termites the companies should be able to ID, or if you
had a digital camera you could probably get an answer through the NG
--
Lar
to email....get rid of the BUGS
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| LurfysMa 2005-10-31, 3:21 pm |
| On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 10:54:38 -0600, Lar <larlfu@comcastBUGS.net>
wrote:
>In article <k8hcm19mnlofckav4glc8r3sde5uolmg2b@4ax.com>,
>invalid@invalid.invalid says...
> I am about to have 2-3 pest control companies examine the house.
> Recent remodeling revealed termites. How can I tell whether the
> termites are subterranean or dry wood (flying?)? Can they tell by
> examining a live termite?
>
>When they opened up the wall for the remodeling..there should of been a
>mud material, which would mean subs...an accumulation of loose fecal
>pellets would suggest drywoods.
>
>if you have the termites the companies should be able to ID, or if you
>had a digital camera you could probably get an answer through the NG
When the contractors first showed me the wood, there was a pile of
what appeared to be tiny black seeds or coarse pepper. Is that the
fecal material you mentioned?
I took one photo. It's not a great photo. It shows some places where
there had been some eating on the face of a stud that was underneath
the stucco. It looked like someone took a router to the face -- about
1/16" deep or less. There were small piles of the black seed-like
droppings.
I planned to come back and take more photos when they had removed more
of the stucco. By the time I got back there, they had cut out all of
the infested wood (they said) and sprayed everything with something
they called "copper green". So now I don't have any evidence. They
said they found only clean wood -- clean margins.
Today, they removed more stucco and found more black droppings and
tunnels in the plywood on the outside of the studs. No visible damage
to the studs and they seem solid. They are going to remove more
stucco.
I didn't see any mud in or around the tunnels.
I took a flashlight into the basement. It's not a real basement --
more like a cement hole for the furnace. The house was built in the
30s. This basement is open to the area under the house. I shone the
flashlight around looking for mud tubes. I didn't see any, but I
couldn't get real close.
So, does this sound like drywood termites?
If so, am I looking at tenting? Is that the only option?
I just want to be prepared when the inspectors come so I can ask
intelligent questions.
We also have a separate garage -- not attached to the house. It has a
loft. I went out there and there are a lot of little dark yellow
"droppings". Kind of like sand, but a little coarser. These also look
like seeds -- maybe carrot seeds, but not black. They are only in a
few spots. The garage roof is just simple tar paper over the 2x4 and
then shakes. I cannot see where the droppings are coming from. Does
this sound like termites, too?
Well, I guess I'll see what the inspectors say.
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220@spamex.com
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| In article <9hkfm19s93i9spmb2volcd2k12533o45jv@4ax.com>,
invalid@invalid.invalid says...
pellets are clearly from drywood termites -- not subterranean. He said
that drywood termites leave pellets whereas subterranean leave
something more like mud.
Is that correct?
yes...here is a pic of some drywood pellets.
collect some and be sure to have more than one company give you an
inspection
--
Lar
to email....get rid of the BUGS
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| In article <8eqfm19cm32coe5abaienuu8nj3dge0re9@4ax.com>,
invalid@invalid.invalid says...
On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 15:40:09 -0600, Lar <larlfu@comcastBUGS.net> wrote:
>In article <9hkfm19s93i9spmb2volcd2k12533o45jv@4ax.com>,
>invalid@invalid.invalid says...
> pellets are clearly from drywood termites -- not subterranean. He said
> that drywood termites leave pellets whereas subterranean leave
> something more like mud.
>
> Is that correct?
>
>
> yes...here is a pic of some drywood pellets.
>collect some and be sure to have more than one company give you an
>inspection
OK, thanks
Each company wants about $300 to do the inspection. You can spend
$1,000 pretty quickly that way.
???????? $300 ?????? figured most companies would give you a free
inspection when giving you a termite bid...hit the phone books...I might
be able to come up with a name in your area
--
Lar
to email....get rid of the BUGS
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| LurfysMa 2005-11-01, 8:21 pm |
| On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 17:12:51 -0600, Lar <larlfu@comcastBUGS.net> wrote:
>In article <8eqfm19cm32coe5abaienuu8nj3dge0re9@4ax.com>,
>invalid@invalid.invalid says...
> On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 15:40:09 -0600, Lar <larlfu@comcastBUGS.net> wrote:
>
> >In article <9hkfm19s93i9spmb2volcd2k12533o45jv@4ax.com>,
> >invalid@invalid.invalid says...
> > pellets are clearly from drywood termites -- not subterranean. He said
> > that drywood termites leave pellets whereas subterranean leave
> > something more like mud.
> >
> > Is that correct?
> >
> >
> > yes...here is a pic of some drywood pellets.
> >collect some and be sure to have more than one company give you an
> >inspection
>
> OK, thanks
>
> Each company wants about $300 to do the inspection. You can spend
> $1,000 pretty quickly that way.
>
>
>???????? $300 ?????? figured most companies would give you a free
>inspection when giving you a termite bid...hit the phone books...I might
>be able to come up with a name in your area
I called 3 different companies -- one was recommended by the
contractor doing our remodeling. They all wanted between $250 and $350
for a "full inspection".
Only Terminix would come out for free.
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220@spamex.com
| |
|
| In article <f20gm1t6oomgkkm4kf368bk5nnkb68hji6@4ax.com>,
invalid@invalid.invalid says...
I called 3 different companies -- one was recommended by the
contractor doing our remodeling. They all wanted between $250 and $350
for a "full inspection".
Only Terminix would come out for free.
That'll teach you for living where you do
I'm trying to run down a connection, that may have some connections.
--
Lar
to email....get rid of the BUGS
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| Sounds like drywood termites. Their fecal pellets can be darker or lighter
in color too, depends on the wood they are eating.
Darlene
smithext@houston.rr.com
"LurfysMa" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:oencm1pa06vjkiv1e3gii7r67uhhqv1pq5@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 10:54:38 -0600, Lar <larlfu@comcastBUGS.net>
> wrote:
>
>
> When the contractors first showed me the wood, there was a pile of
> what appeared to be tiny black seeds or coarse pepper. Is that the
> fecal material you mentioned?
>
> I took one photo. It's not a great photo. It shows some places where
> there had been some eating on the face of a stud that was underneath
> the stucco. It looked like someone took a router to the face -- about
> 1/16" deep or less. There were small piles of the black seed-like
> droppings.
>
> I planned to come back and take more photos when they had removed more
> of the stucco. By the time I got back there, they had cut out all of
> the infested wood (they said) and sprayed everything with something
> they called "copper green". So now I don't have any evidence. They
> said they found only clean wood -- clean margins.
>
> Today, they removed more stucco and found more black droppings and
> tunnels in the plywood on the outside of the studs. No visible damage
> to the studs and they seem solid. They are going to remove more
> stucco.
>
> I didn't see any mud in or around the tunnels.
>
> I took a flashlight into the basement. It's not a real basement --
> more like a cement hole for the furnace. The house was built in the
> 30s. This basement is open to the area under the house. I shone the
> flashlight around looking for mud tubes. I didn't see any, but I
> couldn't get real close.
>
> So, does this sound like drywood termites?
>
> If so, am I looking at tenting? Is that the only option?
>
> I just want to be prepared when the inspectors come so I can ask
> intelligent questions.
>
>
>
> We also have a separate garage -- not attached to the house. It has a
> loft. I went out there and there are a lot of little dark yellow
> "droppings". Kind of like sand, but a little coarser. These also look
> like seeds -- maybe carrot seeds, but not black. They are only in a
> few spots. The garage roof is just simple tar paper over the 2x4 and
> then shakes. I cannot see where the droppings are coming from. Does
> this sound like termites, too?
>
>
>
>
> Well, I guess I'll see what the inspectors say.
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220@spamex.com
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