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Insect Identification, Infestation & Damage in Buildings: recognition, inspection for infestation, structural damage prevention & cure
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Rot, mold, or insects: how do we distinguish among these types of infestation & damage on or in buildings? How do we distinguish between carpenter ants and termites, how do we identify carpenter ant damage, carpenter bee damage, powder post beetle or old house borer damage and termite damage. What building construction details increase the risk of insect damage, and how do we evaluate the extent of structural impact of existing insect damage on a building. Preventing damage by wood destroying insects (termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles) by good design and by building maintenance is preferred to simple chemical
applications around a property. When use of pesticides is required, there are some important choices.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Guide to Spotting, Evaluating, Repairing & Preventing Structural Damage from Insects
 This page is the top level of our complete guide to insect problems found on or in buildings.
Here we outline major topics of concern regarding insect infestation or insect damage and we link to more in-depth diagnosis and repair information.
For our complete list of building insect problem detection, diagnosis, repair & prevention articles please see the detailed article links listed at Related Topics beginning beneath INSECT INFESTATION / DAMAGE.
How do I Tell a Carpenter Ant from a Termite from a Carpenter Bee from a Powder Post Beetle?
If we do see insects in or on the building, it's pretty easy to tell CARPENTER ANTS (stomping around boldly in view, often near water or a sink or tub drain indoors) from a TERMITES (rarely in view unless swarming, but may fall out of a disturbed mud tube).
If you want a single rule, ants have a segmented body with a very very narrow waist (below left) while termites look more wormlike in their body (below right). CARPENTER BEES look like a big slow-moving non-aggressive bumble bee. A female carpenter bee is shown in our third photograph. You won't see POWDER POST BEETLES just their dust and damage.
How To Distinguish Among Damage from Wood Destroying Insects, Mold, or Rot on or in Buildings?
The first course in recognition of types of insect activity in or on a building is often the observation of the actual damage to wood materials in the structures. That's because depending on the type of insect, season, temperature, and other conditions we won't always see the wood destroying insects themselves.
Insect Damage Photos
At below left you can see typical powder post beetle or old house borer damage to a wood joist or beam. At below right you may notice the characteristic mud tubes we associate with termite damage.
Below our photos illustrate typical carpenter ant damage (below left) and termite damage (below right).
Wood Rot Photos
Below our photos illustrate typical wood rot. All wood rot is caused by wood decaying fungi, typically basidiomycetes, some assisted by certain bacteria.
How do We Determine the Difference Between Insect Damage & Wood Rot?
Wood rot (below left) tends to show breaks in the wood grain across the grain and in more or less rectangular forms.
Insect damage involves holes penetrating the wood and removal of the softer summer wood, tending to leave latewood or winter-wood behind to form walls and galleys (below right where my pen points to remaining hardwood).
Watch out: because moisture is involved in most wood destroying insect infestations (excepting drywood termites), you may find multiple sources of wood damage all together: wood rot along with termite or carpenter ant damage. (Carpenter bees prefer more dry wood and burrow right through both winter and summer wood in a board).
How do We Determine the Difference Between Carpenter Ant Damage, Carpenter Bee Damage, Powder Post Beetle Damage & Termite Damage in Buildings? Comparison photos:
For this discussion please also review the example photographs we provide above showing all of these insect types and what their damaged wood looks like. Also see the individual articles for each insect or topic. Carpenter ants, carpenter bees, termites, even powder post beetles or old house borers all provide visible indications of insect activity such as entry or exit holes, mud tubes, or the presence of the insects themselves.
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Carpenter ant damaged wood will show cleanly excavated wood passages - the frass is brought outside of the area of excavation. And seasonally you'll find carpenter ants or carpenter ant bodies.
Details are at CARPENTER ANTS |
Carpenter bee damaged wood will be on the exterior of the building, typically well above ground, in wood trim, siding, decks, etc. You will observe 5/16" to 1/2" diameter round holes, usually penetrating the edges of boards and when the bees are active you'll find coarse fresh sawdust below the working opening.
Details are at CARPENTER BEES |
Powder post beetle damaged wood will show multiple tiny holes, about 1/8" in diameter, leaving the outermost surface of the wood otherwise intact. Probing you will find powdery sawdust and damaged wood just below this skin. The older the powder post beetle (or old house borer beetle) damage is, the deeper into the wood the damage will extend. For this reason, strategic probing is important to assess the depth of damage to the wood and thus to the wood structure. When powder post beetles are active you may see light dusting of fine wood powder around some of these holes as well as on surfaces below.
Details are at POWDER POST BEETLES |
Termite damaged wood typically will include the presence of visible mud tubes and mud-like substance inside the excavated wood galleys. Because termites need to protect themselves from drying out and light they are not found on the exterior of wood under termite attack. It's rare to see an active termite unless you disturb (break apart) a mud tube while it's in use - in that case you'll see pale termites fall out. You will see termites if they are swarming however. (Watch out for "winged ants" that are not).
Details are at TERMITES |
Wood rot itself does not produce insect entry/exit holes nor mud tubes, but of course both wood rot and insect damage are often found together and may even be found within the same wood member or board.
Mold is a very broad kingdom of fungi, among which some molds, particularly the basidiomycetes are wood rotters. So not all mold causes wood rot, but basically all wood rot in homes is thanks to one or more mold genera/species. (With some help from bacteria).
Details are at
ROT RESISTANT LUMBER
ROT, TIMBER FRAME
ROT, TIMBER ASSESSMENT
Watch out: conditions that encourage mold growth in buildings, particularly chronic leaks or water entry, are an invitation to wood destroying insects as well. |
How do We Evaluate the Extent of Insect or Rot Damage on or in Wood Structures? Structural Damage Assessment Procedure
 For a thorough evaluation of the extent of structural damage to a building we should take the following steps:
- Inspect the entire structure, outside and inside, to identify both visual evidence of leaks or damage and to recognize construction details (wood in soil contact for example) and site details (surface drainage towards the building, drip lines under gutters for example) that indicate points of extra risk of building leaks or damage even where no external damage is visible.
- Wood probing, test cuts, invasive demolition: for each of those risk points where damage was not immediately visible, based on building history, all site observations, experience, decide where further more invasive inspection or "test cuts" are justified. Typically we investigate further by making one or more test cuts or openings (or removing trim or siding etc. if necessary) at the greatest risk point first. If no damage is found, the level of concern (our "fear-o-meter") drops and we may not cut or dig further.
- Probe accessible wood components in areas of risk including sample probing along sills, rim joists, joists, even rafters starting again where there is visible damage or activity, to determine the extent of apparent damage. Keep in mind that should structural repairs be needed, additional evidence is likely to be found during demolition. For an engineering and expert approach to structural assessment of wood timbers see our article by Paul Probett et als [4] on micro drilling at ROT, TIMBER ASSESSMENT
- Extra demolition: where wood destroying fungi are at work, such as "Poria the house eating fungus" it may be appropriate to remove wood components for some safe distance past all visible damage or activity. See Meruliporia Mold Photographs for details. Our photo (above left) shows some rhizomorphs suspended below wood flooring in an area where I suspected more Meruliporia incrassata fruiting body material and fungal contamination in a home.
5 Basic Steps in Repair of Damage by Wood Destroying Insects
The general approach to repairing damage from wood destroying insects involves these steps:
- Find and fix the cause of insect infestation, typically an building leak of some kind
- Identify the areas of insect infestation and the extent of damage, using a combination of visual inspection, probing, and where appropriate, demolition.
- Repair or replaced damaged structural and finish components as needed. During repairs, where feasible, amend the structure or design to reduce the risk of insect attack by reducing the risk of leaks, moisture traps, or wood materials close to the ground surface.
- If appropriate (see below), choose and implement an insect damage prevention strategy such as termite shield, chemical barrier, use of insect resistant materials, etc.
- Reinspect periodically to assure that there is no renewed wood-destroying insect activity
The Point of View of the Termite Inspector May Affect the Strategy as Well as The Cost to Cure an Active Insect Problem
 Watch out: Many of the large number of expert sources available on the detection and prevention of building damage from wood destroying insects (see References, related articles) have been written from the viewpoint of academics or by pest control and related industry associations.
These experts offer valuable information about insect pests, often from the pest control operator's viewpoint.
Our own point of view is that of very experienced building inspectors, diagnosticians, and repair contractors.
Taking this more broad view of the topic adds two benefits: an improved ability to detect insect infestation by knowing where to look (as do experienced pest inspectors) and additional options that may reduce the ultimate cost of building insect damage repair or insect damage prevention.
Example of WDI Inspection Report Concluding Treatment of Active Infestation was Not Feasible
During a building inspection for a home buyer in Hyde Park, NY the pest control inspector (from a local pest control operator or PCO) observed termite infestation in the first floor structure of a home. He also observed that a private water well was located just a few feet from the foundation wall. This pest control operator issued a "WDI Termite Report" report that concluded:
Active termite infestation, house cannot be treated.
Needless to say, the home seller, buyer, realtor, were all quite upset with this result. What was less obvious was the thinking of the PCO which went as follows:
I see active termites and a well close to the foundation and also some dirt crawl spaces in the home. That means we cannot treat the home by conventional means (which for this PCO meant applying termiticide in the soils around the home). I think they'd have to move the well - something that is very expensive, probably cost prohibitive. And even then, I'd have to trench around the house and remove treat and return soil, as I can't just pump into the ground where there is a dirt crawl space. The whole job, moving the well and soil trench treatment would be tens of thousands of dollars and I think it would just be too expensive for the value of the home.
In other words, as the adage [with some rewording] goes:
To a pest control company every termite problem needs to be solved by using pest control methods.
But wait! Let's go back to the original adage:
To a carpenter every problem looks like a nail.
I [DF] was asked for a "second opinion" about the un-solvable termite problem at this Hyde Park home. I am no smarter than the PCO inspector, and I saw the same things he did.
But I also noticed and confirmed by some probing and poking into the area of damage that the actual termite infestation had entered up one narrow area of the foundation wall and entered the wood floor structure beneath a leaky toilet in a first floor bathroom. The entire area of infestation was less than ten square feet of material. That suggested an alternative five-step solution to the active termite problem, a "carpentry approach" and perhaps for that reason, one that the PCO had not considered.
5-Step Termite Damage Repairs Without Requirement for Chemical Treatment
The building owner hired a contractor who cured the termite infestation by the following steps:
- Fix the plumbing leak that had invited termites into the floor structure
- Demolish and remove all of the termite-infested flooring, consisting of a few feet of sill, subflooring, finish flooring, and one floor joist.
- Re-build the damaged area using pressure-treated lumber for sill and joist repairs and conventional materials for the remaining repair
- Completely clean all debris, sawdust, mud-tubes, etc.
- Provide a document of all repairs made
Following these repairs the building owner hired the same PCO to perform a follow-up inspection. All of the investigation, repair, and PCO report documentation was provided to the home buyer and buyer's lender. The result was a "clear" or no infestation found report, permitting the home sale to proceed.
Nine Approaches to Prevention of Wood Destroying Insect Damage
- Architectural design to resist wood destroying insect attack: the best wood destroying insect resistant-building design is to
keep wood and other insect-friendly materials at least 8" above ground, provide no protected path for insect entry into the structure (such as behind solid insulation boards)
- Building maintenance: keep surface water and roof spillage away from the building perimeter. Do not pile up leaves, organic debris, wood piles, or mulch against building walls. Hire a professional to inspect the building, especially at high-risk points.
- BAIT TRAPS for Termite Control - explains how termite bait traps are used to detect termites near a building; this method avoids use of chemical barriers but requires very reliable, regular inspection as the theory is based on detection (and changing the bait to a poison at that time) rather than prevention of insect attack.
- Chemical barrier that resists insect attack: is applied around and under the building. Chemical barriers for termites and other wood destroying insects used to work very well, but modern chemicals may be less effective/less durable over time due to changes in pesticides to make these chemicals less of an an environmental hazard. See PESTICIDE EXPOSURE HAZARDS and see TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE.
- INSECTS & FOAM INSULATION - discusses the problem of insects attacking a building through foam foundation insulation
- Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber - describes using lumber treated to increase its insect resistance. Also see ROT-RESISTANT Deck Lumber & Flooring and for exterior decks and porches see Synthetic Deck Lumber: Composite, Plastic, Vinyl.
- TERMITE SHIELD Installation describes how and where metallic shields are installed to make it more difficult for insects to enter wood framing from the ground or through the building foundation. While a termite shield does not absolutely prevent attack by termites nor other wood-destroying insects from the ground, the shield can force termites to build mud tubes around a visible flange making the attack easier to detect.
A termite shield is simply a metal shield is set atop all wood sills, extending an inch or more past the building interior and exterior wall surfaces, bent on an angle downwards to shed water, with exact details specified by a pest control officer and installed during construction. A termite shield may be effective but remains a risky approach to bug-proofing if the shield is not inspected and if not kept visually accessible on both inside and outside of the buildings for periodic check - a termite mud tube might bypass a metal shield.
- TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE describes the use of chemical barriers or treatments to resist attack by termites or carpenter ants (different chemicals, different application methods must be used). Also see PESTICIDE EXPOSURE HAZARDS.
- Water & moisture control: It is no surprise that quite often we find that the primary point of attack by carpenter ants or termites on a wood structure is where there is or was a leak that wet wood members. Even in the case of powder post beetles, where leaks may not be immediately present, a history of high indoor or basement or crawl space moisture levels increase the risk of that attack.
By keeping water away from the building foundation, fixing leaks that send water through the structure, and by keeping indoor humidity at appropriate levels we can reduce the attractiveness of wood and structural members to wood destroying insects, particularly carpenter ants and termites.
Start by a complete and competent inspection of the building to identify existing leaks or moisture problems as well as construction details that invite a leak or moisture issue.
See WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING and see WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS for our complete list of building moisture & water entry diagnosis & control articles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Wood Destroying Insects or Insect Pests on & Around Buildings
 Question: can you identify the type of insect that appears to have infested this wood seen in our attic?
What kind of pest do you think makes this? - MJS 10/24/2012
Reply:
I can't say, MJS, but what is quite apparent from your photograph is that what appears to be insect activity, perhaps from a type of borer beetle, occurred before the tree was harvested and cut into lumber.
You can see that the flat sawn and planed surface of the wood has left cross-sectional slices of exposed, sawdust-filled voids in the wood. To me the damage looks like a type of wood boring beetle, powder post beetle or old house borer, but that's uncertain.
We publish your photo here to invite other readers to comment, and I'll also review our text library for some comparison images of similar wood damage.
...
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Questions & answers or comments about the recognition, cause, & prevention of rot, fungus, mold or insect damage in buildings.
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- CARPENTER ANTS - what do carpenter ants look like and what does their wood damage look like
- CARPENTER BEES - what do carpenter bees look like and what does their wood damage look like?
- MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - what does mold look like on buildings? What's the relationship between mold and wood rot?
- TERMITES - information about & photos of termites & termite damage
- TERMITE INSPECTION & DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - how do we conduct a termite or other WDI insect damage or infestation inspection
- TERMITE DAMAGE Case - Activity Un-Noticed - case study illustrates that hidden WDI damage can be suspected from contextual & outdoor building clues, and may be quite severe
- Termite Damage Indicators, Clues - stuff to notice that raises the red flag of termite damage
- Termite Damage Indicators Outdoors - indirect outdoor clues that raise red flags and call for more thorough inspection for termite damage
- TERMITE MUD TUBE Photographs - what do mud tubes look like, where can they be spotted - including some harder to see locations
- Termite Damage Indicators, Clues - indirect indications of structural damage such as crushing sills can lead to a red flag for termites or carpenter ants
- TERMITE SHIELD Installation - notice the presence of termite shields during an inspection - an likely indicator of extra risk of termite activity in the neighborhood or at this building
- Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
 Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
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Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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- [3] Jeffrey Hahn, Colleen Cannon, and Mark Ascerno, "Carpenter Ants", University of Minnesota Extension, retrieved 9/19/2012, original source: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1015.html, copy on file as [Carpenter_Ants_UMinn.pdf]
- [4] Paul Probett, Clinton Craig, Blake Probett, "An Introduction to Micro-Drilling Technology for N. Z. Structural Timber Assessment", Incodo Ltd, 4/511 Cameron Rd, Tauranga NZ, article adapted by InspectAPedia with permission, August 2012. Contact the authors by Email: Paul Probett, mail2us@incodo.co.nz , Tel: 027 28 000 36 (Mobile) Website: http://incodo.co.nz/ [Copy of this article on file as Microdrilling_Assessment_Incodo.pdf]
Quoting from the Incodo website the company describes its services:
- Incodo Forensic Building Pathology:
The Forensic Building Pathology division provides evidence in report form to government agencies, consultancy firms, lawyers and others, when truly independent analysis based on comprehensive testing is required. Incodo arguably has the largest, most up-to-date and comprehensive range of building investigation equipment available and has developed unique methodologies particularly in the field of non-destructive testing for leaking structures.
- Incodo In situ Timber Assessment:
The in-situ Timber Assessment division provides a service whereby technicians use state-of-the-art timber resistance drill technology to profile variations in timber density associated with timber decay.
The work is done on site and the results are instant.
This technology is objective and evidential in nature and provides assessment as to whether wood is significantly decayed, suspect or suitable for retention. The technology has particular application in locating and assessing hidden decay.
- [5] Thomas Tannert, Andreas Muller, Mareike Vogel, "Applications and limitations of NDT: a timber bridge case study", NDTCE’09, Non-Destructive Testing in Civil Engineering
Nantes, France, June 30th – July 3rd, 2009, web search 8/3/2012, original source: http://www.ndt.net/article/ndtce2009/papers/144.pdf [copy on file as Tannert_Timber_Test_144.pdf]
Abstract
The applications and limitations of different non-destructive and semi-destructive
techniques to evaluate the structural integrity of timber members in a pedestrian bridge are
presented as a case study. Sophisticated assessment tools are required to detect hidden
damages in timber structures: for example stress-wave techniques are used to evaluate the
modulus of elasticity of bending members and resistance to drilling is used to gain knowledge
of areas of changed density due to insect or moisture induced damages. Reliably relating the
gathered data to the structural integrity of the structure is a complex issue. Bending members
and connection details of a decommissioned timber bridge were evaluated using non
destructive assessment tools. Eventually these parts were tested destructively to assess their
remaining modulus of elasticity and load bearing capacity. The need for improvements in the
current practice is highlighted by comparing the results from the non-destructive, semidestructive
and destructive tests.
- [6] David Grudzinski, Advantage Home Inspections,
ASHI cert # 249089, HUD cert# H-145, is a professional home inspector who contributes on various topics including structural matters. Mr. Grudzinski, Cranston RI serving both Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut can be reached at 401-935-6547 fax- 401-490-0607 or by email to Davidgrudzinski@aol.com. Mr. Grudzinski is a regular contributor to InspectAPedia.com - see DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study, and BASEMENT WATER MOLD IMPACT and VERMICULITE INSULATION for examples.
- [7] Mara and Andy Gieseke, Tucson AZ, are contributors to InspectAPedia.com including photographs used at SIDING EIFS & STUCCO, Cracks at Control Joints in Concrete and ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES, and are family members of website publisher Daniel Friedman.
- [8] Desert Termites, Thomas W. Fuchs, Extension Entomologist, Darrell N. Ueckert, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and Bastiaan M. Drees,
Extension Entomologist, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System, web search 09/13/2010, original source: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-016.html
- [9] Termites - Greenhouse Gases, U.S. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency. Web search 09/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch14/final/c14s02.pdf Quoting an interesting passage from this brief document:
Termites inhabit many different ecological regions, but they are concentrated primarily in
tropical grasslands and forests. Symbiotic micro-organisms in the digestive tracts of termites
(flagellate protozoa in lower termites and bacteria in higher termites) produce methane (CH4).
Estimates of the contribution to the global budget of CH4 from termites vary widely, from negligible
up to 15 percent.
- [10] Truly Nolen Pest Control, Tel: 866-221-4765, is a national franchise of pest control operators in the U.S. Quoting from the company's website:
Truly Nolen [has] over 80 offices located in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The company services more than 150,000 customers and employs about 1,100 partners, with almost 50 percent service technicians. Domestic franchises are offered throughout the United States. International franchises are also established in over 30 countries.
- [11] U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances. 1997. Re registration eligibility decision:
Diflubenzuron. Pp. 17, 46. www.epa.gov/
pesticides.
- [12] U.S. EPA. Office of Prevention, Pesticides and
Toxic Substances. 1994. Pesticide fact sheet:
Hexaflumuron. Washington, D.C.
- [13] U.S. EPA. Office of Pesticide Programs. 2003.
Pesticide ecotoxicity database. Unpublished database.
U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances. 1998. Re registration eligibility
decision: Hydramethylnon. Pp. 16-18, 43.
www.epa.gov/pesticides.
- [14] U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
Undated. New chemical New chemical fact sheet:
Noviflumuron. Washington, D.C.
- [15] "Protecting Your Home from Subterranean Termite Damage", Journal of Pesticide Reform, Fall 2004, V 24 No. 3, - 6-7, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides/NCAP, POB 1393, Eugene OR, 97440 541-344-5044 www.pesticide.org: Web search 09/11/2010: http://www.hipspro.com/pubs/subterraneantermites.pdf
This document discusses alternatives for termite protection including reducing the attractiveness of the structure to termites (get wood away from the building, fix leaks), use of 16-grit sand (diameter 0.06 - 0.1 in) as a termite barrier 18" wide x 3" deep in crawl areas, or stainless steel mesh for the same purpose under foundations and slabs, boric acid, Diflubenzuron (insect growth regulator, risk genetic damage, EPA classed as carcinogen), Hexaflumuron (insect growth regulator, EPA didn't ID health concerns, waived some testing, partly because of anticipated very low risk of human exposure), Hydramethylnon (stomach toxicant, EPA: Carcinogen, highly toxic to fish), Noviflumuron (chemically similar to hexaflumuron), can cause anemia, EPA didn't ID other health hazards, some testing requirements waived, moderately toxic to fish).
- [16] "House Eating Fungus" Meruliporia incrassata (also called "Poria" the house eating fungus) in the U.S. or Serpula lacrymans in Europe) can cause severe structural damage. Evidence of hidden "poria" may be found by expert inspection methods which include tracing sources and paths of probable Building
leaks and moisture traps. Further, careful indoor particle sampling methods can often permit the presence of this mold to be identified in the laboratory.
- [17] Pesticides Contaminate House [PDF] - news article about improperly applied pesticide chemicals and building contamination
- [18] Termite Damage Case Study#1 - exterior clues predicted insect damage; interior access was limited but certain clear clues led right to the damage
as well as an attempted cover-up of termite damage below a "repaired" wooden floor. The real evidence was in the driveway. [in process]
- [19] Termite Damage Case Study#2 - very limited visual access inside a building made this inspection for structural damage tough. Outside
conditions suggested a risk of water entry and insect attack. Inside the house had mysteriously sloping floors - sloping in every direction.
There were few indications of ongoing building movement to explain the sloping. Perseverance led to finding severe termite damage at the
building sills. [in process]
- [20] Wikipedia provided background information about some topics discussed at this website provided this citation is also found in the same article along with a " retrieved on" date. NOTE: because Wikipedia entries are fluid and can be amended in real time, we cite the retrieval date of Wikipedia citations and we do not assert that the information found there is necessarily authoritative.
Termites, Wikipedia web search 09/11/2010, original source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite provided some information about termite size.
- [21] Hoadley, R. Bruce. Understanding Wood, 1980, Newton, CT: Taunton Press.
- [22] Panshin, A. J. and Carl de Zeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology, 1980, NY: McGraw-Hill.
- [23] Story, Keith O. Approaches to Pest Management in Museums, 1985, Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
- [24] University of Wisconsin Dept. of Entymology, "Insect ID - wood attacking insects", retrieved 10/25/2012, original source http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/wood-attk.php
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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