- Jul 11, 2001
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This is Berkeley, CA.
So, I go outside today around noon. Last night was the first rain in a couple months, about 0.20" in my yard. The garage renovation project started in April or so with a tear-off roof replacement by a roofing company. Ever since I've been working on replacing the dilapidated side wall. Tore it all down, reframed it, nailed on OSB. Yesterday I applied moisture barrier paper in preparation for applying Hardie Plank siding, next week I figure.
In the garage there used to be a ton of stuff, old wood, plywood, garden tools, bags of mulch, etc. Most of that was put outside to allow me room to set up things to work on the wall.
So, this morning I freaked out, seeing a 1.5'x2' piece of old 3/8" plywood lying on the wet ground about 10 feet in front of the garage door. On it was a huge swarm of winged termites. They are about 1/2" long and were so thick on that wood that half of it was wall to wall termites, maybe a couple 1000 of them. They were also flying around. My aerosol bug sprays (under the sink for decades, and left here by former roommates) wouldn't work. I looked up stuff online and saw mention of one thing I do have: boric acid. I dusted the flock with it using a fine strainer.
Well, I know I should get rid of any wood I have lying around outside.
Tearing off that well, there was a fair amount of rotted wood and signs of termite infestation. I didn't leave anything that looked like it was infested.
I believe I had a termite inspection when I bought the house in 2000. Don't recall any problems mentioned. That was for the house, not the garage. The left and back walls of the garage are cinder blocks, period. The right wall, well that's the wood one, the one I'm rebuilding.
I'm thinking these may be dry wood termites. Does that mean they don't need wood to be wet to invade? Comments?
So, I go outside today around noon. Last night was the first rain in a couple months, about 0.20" in my yard. The garage renovation project started in April or so with a tear-off roof replacement by a roofing company. Ever since I've been working on replacing the dilapidated side wall. Tore it all down, reframed it, nailed on OSB. Yesterday I applied moisture barrier paper in preparation for applying Hardie Plank siding, next week I figure.
In the garage there used to be a ton of stuff, old wood, plywood, garden tools, bags of mulch, etc. Most of that was put outside to allow me room to set up things to work on the wall.
So, this morning I freaked out, seeing a 1.5'x2' piece of old 3/8" plywood lying on the wet ground about 10 feet in front of the garage door. On it was a huge swarm of winged termites. They are about 1/2" long and were so thick on that wood that half of it was wall to wall termites, maybe a couple 1000 of them. They were also flying around. My aerosol bug sprays (under the sink for decades, and left here by former roommates) wouldn't work. I looked up stuff online and saw mention of one thing I do have: boric acid. I dusted the flock with it using a fine strainer.
Well, I know I should get rid of any wood I have lying around outside.
Tearing off that well, there was a fair amount of rotted wood and signs of termite infestation. I didn't leave anything that looked like it was infested.
I believe I had a termite inspection when I bought the house in 2000. Don't recall any problems mentioned. That was for the house, not the garage. The left and back walls of the garage are cinder blocks, period. The right wall, well that's the wood one, the one I'm rebuilding.
I'm thinking these may be dry wood termites. Does that mean they don't need wood to be wet to invade? Comments?
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