Termites

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

Finishing a wall in the basement with old barn siding. My wife wants me to check for termites & maybe other bugs. Any ideas. Thanks in advance. J.

JMOR · Mar 7, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:33:02 03/07/10) Finishing a wall in the basement with old barn siding. My wife wants me to check for termites & maybe other bugs. Any ideas. Thanks in advance. J.

Do you live in an area where there are only subterranean termites? Know of any Formosan termites in your area? How long has the siding been removed from the barn & how/where stored?

1936 · Mar 7, 2010

Know of three building that had used crib lumber and all have been destroyed with the white guest in the used boards.

Possible remove the barn boards-not worth the risk.

I will never use used lumber after what I have seen unless it has professional fumigated the methol bromide. Four pounds of the fumigate per 1000 cu ft will kill most anything under the tarp.

Good luck!

Lamar Fudd · Mar 7, 2010

IF the termites can't get to a source of moisture, they'll die. Keep your barn siding off the floor and be sure the wall isn't leaking-you'll be okay. Subterranean termites die quickly when they can't get to moisture.

ohiojim · Mar 7, 2010

once removed from the colony they will die...

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

The boards have been stored for 28 years. Some in the haymow of a barn the rest in a corncrib.

JMOR · Mar 7, 2010

(quoted from post at 22:01:02 03/07/10) The boards have been stored for 28 years. Some in the haymow of a barn the rest in a corncrib.

hat we all said about subterranean termites is factual and that is why I asked about Formosan and/or what state you are in....
If you see any signs of dirt in the lumber, that likely means the termites have been there. They will die quickly w/o access to soil/moisture, but if you were to move live one into a new area & they can find a crack or any access to moisture/soil quick enough they will survive. Formosan termites are not that easy. They do not need to return to earth/moisture regularly...can live completely above ground and have been spreading across the south...from N.O, I believe...at least some southern coastal region.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

You will know if you have killed them soon. They swarm from April - June. You will be able to tell if the nest is gone or if all your little white bug buddies have died or took up residence in the lumber you saved. The other posts are correct in that they need moisture to live,but they are resilient and can survive a long time in a damp enviroment without returning to the soil.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 7, 2010

You might get a pallet company to heat treat the boards.. Many pallets/crates etc are made of heat treated lumber to kill insects..

bc · Mar 7, 2010

Just check each board as you use it. They leave trails on the sides when they don't eat it. Check the ends and sides for termite infestation. You will know a termite eaten one because it will weigh a lot less. If it is solid all the way along when you tap it with a hammer you are ok. Check the piles for a dirt trails/tunnels. They tunnel up concrete walls as well. When you knock off the tunnels that is the end for those who can't get back to the ground where the nest is. Exposure to air kills them. You can spray the boards if worried. Don't know if you have a wood borer problem there.

Mark - IN. · Mar 7, 2010

Keep an eye out for post beetles. Them son of a guns can and do spread over time. I'd treat that wood. Enclose it where its pretty air tight, get something from an exterminator like pyrethrum or something like that. Years back I learned my lesson bringing post beetles into a garage, and over time they went for the 2x4 studs, and tore them up. I had an exterminator come in and deal with them, but I had to replace some studs. After that, if there's any major amount of wood coming in, it gets enclosed with a stiff dose of industrial stuff for a few days.

Don't get me wrong, barn wood, rafters and such is nice, very nice when finished, but take an ounch of prevention first so that you can enjoy it for a long, long time without termites or such enjoying it for a short expensive time. Go visit the exterminator guy, ask his thoughts on prevention.

Good luck, enjoy.

Mark

showcrop · Mar 8, 2010

Hi John, Last fall I had to do a repair job on a corner of my old barn. Some shifting had taken place so I needed to jack a corner up. When I took the boards off I found that it had been infested with termites, and since one board had been replaced only about four years earlier I knew that it was recent. I cleaned it up good and found no current activity, but I could see that it had stayed wet for awhile because of it being so rainy the last two years and being shaded most of the day. After cleaning I sprinkled termite powder all over the area. I would suggest that any where that you have moisture and very little space between ground and wood that you open it up and take a peek

Termites

Anonymous-0

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JMOR

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1936

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Lamar Fudd

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Anonymous-0

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JMOR

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