Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

roody

(10,849 posts)
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 09:03 PM Oct 2012

Help with termites hatching

In June I had two very large evergreen trees cut down and had the excess chipped. I made large raised paths all around my .19 acre. Here in N. Cal, yesterday it rained for the first time since last April or May. Today many termites are hatching from the chips. Will they be a problem? If so, can I kill them without harsh pesticides?

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Help with termites hatching (Original Post) roody Oct 2012 OP
scary! shireen Oct 2012 #1
The trees were healthy. I roody Oct 2012 #4
It depends. jeff47 Oct 2012 #2
Don't look for small tubes made of mud, though Warpy Oct 2012 #5
Thanks. I keep a close eye on the house. roody Oct 2012 #6
You can take care of them yourself. Lowe's carries a DIY termite killing system. sinkingfeeling Oct 2012 #3
rent some chickens? mopinko Oct 2012 #7
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #8

shireen

(8,337 posts)
1. scary!
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 11:42 PM
Oct 2012

Were the trees infested prior to cutting down? How deep are the beds? Is any of the wood close to your house walls? Wish i could offer words of wisdom, but i'm new to this house stuff so I'm interested in hearing what others have to say about it.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
2. It depends.
Wed Oct 24, 2012, 12:30 AM
Oct 2012

If the paths are not close to the house, you probably won't have a problem - they've got lots of food in the paths.

If the paths are close to the house, then it could cause a problem.

Burrowing termites die when exposed to sunlight. So one of the ways to see if that particular type of termite is attacking your house is to look around the foundation for small tubes made of mud - the termites build them up the foundation wall in order to reach the wood in the house.

This method isn't foolproof - for example you won't be able to easily check the inside walls of your foundation, and there's other species of termites that don't build tubes.

If so, can I kill them without harsh pesticides?

No. Some people market alternatives to pesticides. They generally do not work well.

Warpy

(113,131 posts)
5. Don't look for small tubes made of mud, though
Wed Oct 24, 2012, 12:15 PM
Oct 2012

Termites are great at hiding their routes up to the sills, so you need to look for something that looks like soil splashed onto the foundation during a heavy rainstorm. They're not going to be nice, neat, straight tubes heading out of the soil.

Termites are diabolical little shits.

But yes, you should be OK as long as those paths are at least eight feet away from your foundation. Chances are termites laid their eggs in them during the summer instead of being in the trees, themselves.

You might also get the soil around the foundation treated, just in case.

roody

(10,849 posts)
6. Thanks. I keep a close eye on the house.
Wed Oct 24, 2012, 07:26 PM
Oct 2012

When I saw them rising in the sunshine, I thought it was meal moth season again. But they have long clear wings. They were rising up by the hundreds. Late summer, I thought there were maggots in my Doggy Dooley 'septic' system. I've used these things for over a decade with no problems. I covered them with dirt but long things kept appearing. They are termites I guess.

mopinko

(71,909 posts)
7. rent some chickens?
Thu Oct 25, 2012, 08:38 AM
Oct 2012

we split a pile of buggy wood the other day, and my girls went after those termites, and other bugs, like they were gold nuggets.

Response to roody (Original post)

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»DIY & Home Improvement»Help with termites hatchi...