Kansas ’Termite Corridor’ Facing Unusual Threat 5/4/01

'The world needs termites, but their beneficial place in it is getting smaller. Termites are like vultures and hyenas – natural cleanup crews. They help take care of the trees and woody shrubs and vines that die every year, making room for new vegetation.'

-- Entomologist Don Cress
K-State Research and Extension

Easy Ways to Invalidate
Your Termite Protection

• Plant shrubs or flowers next to the foundation.

• Sink a hole for a fence post or mail box.

• Add soil to foundation flowerbeds after the ground settles.

• Ignore a downspout that doesn’t carry water away.

• Mulch with chips from wood that’s not termite-resistant.

• Add on steps, a porch/deck, a room.

• Build wood planters or windowboxes.

• Install a trellis or raised flowerbed.

• String underground wire for yard lights or a fountain.

• Install a sprinkler system.

• Keep your dog – the digger – penned next to the house.

–Source: K-State Research and Extension Entomology

But, all ages and kinds of buildings may be at risk this spring. Last year’s mix of summer drought and winter cold damaged many landscape plants. Some trees and shrubs never leafed out. Others are weak – vulnerable to killing blows from the current growing season’s insects and plant diseases.

"You’re in a real bind when you lose a foundation planting," Cress explained. "If you dig it out and replace it, you most likely breach the building’s termite barrier, too. But if you just leave the dead plant or its roots – never disturbing the soil – the result can be worse. Dead roots are instant termite food, as well as a bridge that wood-eating insects can use to reach a structure."

As buildings age, they tend to encourage termite entry. Termites can get through tiny cracks in foundations or the calking around pipes, doors and windows. Homes practically issue an invitation with moisture buildup around blocked vents or inefficient downspouts.

"Moisture, soil and unprotected wood ... that’s all termites need to thrive," the entomologist said.

Unfortunately, Kansans’ false sense of security also is based on the fact that stores sell termite-controlling chemicals, the entomologist said.

"Those products do kill termites. But there’s no way you can use them to protect your home successfully, unless you have the required special equipment. You’ll end up just having to hire a pest control firm later on, when the damage to your home may very well be worse," Cress said.

Termite colonies can live "amazingly far" from their food source, he added. Killing worker termites that are eating away a ramp or flowerbed edging will have little effect on the total colony.

"A mature colony in Kansas can easily contain 60,000 to more than 200,000 insects," Cress said. "That’s why they usually start to swarm every spring, once a colony has reached maturity."

This spring’s flight is still going on. But Kansans are unlikely to see it, the entomologist said.

"Termites are good underground, but they’re awful in the air. They have really fragile wings. And, sexually mature swarmers are attracted to light. That’s why the only sign of an indoor swarm tends to be broken wing parts on a window sill," Cress said.

Outdoors swarms go unnoticed because "if people had the termite’s wing-to-body ratio, our wings would be 18 feet long!" he said. So, swarmers don’t have the energy to fly fast or far. Their weak flight makes them accident-prone and easy prey for birds. Few survive to start nearby colonies.

Cress said the only specialized tool needed for homeowners’ termite inspection is an ice pick, screwdriver or similar handheld probe. The danger signs they’ll look for are equally simple: (1) spongy, damaged wood and (2) dried mud-looking tubes that protect termite routes between soil and building.

The only difficulty in such inspections is being determined enough to be thorough, he said.

The entomologist recommends testing wood by poking it with a screwdriver. But he really means ALL wood that’s near or in contact with soil – inside, outside and near the home. So, that includes siding, fences, sills, flower boxes, porches, steps, trellises, firewood, landscape timbers, edging, mail box posts and more.

Cress also recommends looking for "mud" tunnels on all non-wood materials that could allow termite access. This includes both sides of the foundation, all joints, all pipes, all cracks. ...

"Be particularly suspicious where it’s moist, blocked to ventilation or heavily mulched," he said.

For those who find termite signs, Cress suggests getting an inspection and written proposal from three pest control firms – plus checking out all three firms’ references and reputation.

"Reputable firms won’t mind your doing this. They’d comparison shop if they were in your place," Cress said. "They also won’t try to play on your fears, rush you into buying or give you written proposals that are nothing but vague generalities."

For the most part, what homeowners will be comparing is the companies’ recommended treatment, estimated cost and guarantee. This can become complicated, however, in areas where a local firm is offering one of the new monitor-bait approaches to termite control.

These systems entered the Kansas market in 1995, Cress said. They cost more than traditional chemical barrier treatments. But, they basically eliminate the danger of voiding termite protection while doing simple landscaping. They also are safer to use around wells, cisterns and the like.

The systems establish a ring of tube-shaped, underground monitoring stations around a building. If, or when, a station detects termite activity, the pest control firm replaces the monitoring material with a baited tube that contains an insect growth inhibitor or pesticide.

"These systems have been gaining good acceptance," Cress said. "Still, their advantages are hard to rate in money terms. So, each homeowner has to decide whether they’re worth the extra cost, based on the particular situation."

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.