If you have a yard, odds are good that subterranean termites are strolling around underneath it. They love tunneling about and enjoy San Francisco's foggy cool air, which makes the ground nice and damp-they need moisture to survive. Their social structure is much like a beehive. The king and queen live in a central chamber and are attended to by soldiers and workers who blindly knock about (termites have no eyes) and forage until they bump into something good to eat. While any kind of dead wood (including redwood) is fair game, Douglas fir is their favorite treat and they'll gobble it up until posts, beams and joists are like honeycomb.
The most obvious sign of subterranean termite infestation are their mud tunnels, which look like tubes that are usually the thickness of a ballpoint pen. If you see a mud tube, don't touch it! When subterranean termites are shaken up or disturbed, they'll just take off and move on to do damage elsewhere.
You can try to beat termites off with over-the-counter pesticides, but constant vigilance is required and repeated treatments are usually necessary. If you'd rather not spend the time crawling around your basement looking for mud tubes, I recommend hiring a specialist who is authorized to use stronger chemical treatments. The most reliable termite control is provided by Structural Pest Control Operators licensed by a State Board.
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