Out here in the Wild West, termite damage drywall go hand in hand with the mess they cause. If you’re lucky enough to see evidence on the foundation slab, but here in Arizona the stucco sometimes goes below the rock.
I don’t know how they do it, but they will pop out on a picture frame and just start to eat away. In this case some type of cardboard behind a shelving unit. I’ve seen books eaten and completely ruined, the little termite aren’t big but there are many.
Termite sign – Look no tubes at the bottom, but they are on the top of the shelving. This is a post tension home, so how did they do that? A little investigative work and what did I spy. No tubes outside, but there is a set of pipes at the washer/dryer. So it must be that, this one was a little easier than some.
You have to think about it, and make the best educated guess as to how they are getting in. Not always easy but the work must be done to stop them from getting in. Termites cause approximately $5 – 8 billion in damage each year so doing a monthly check for termite sign is important in keeping your home in tip top shape.
Grass eating termites love old decaying wood or cellulose. This can be cactus or just plain grass .
Normally speaking these seldom make their way into structures but keep an eye out for mud tubes on your foundations wall on inside on the drywall.
This was behind the drywall or lathing material and looked like a cactus design. It was artistic but I rather think accidental by design. Have you ever seen anything like it?
Comments are welcome.
Bed Bugs = labor, it requires a great deal of time to look through everything in a home. This means opening everything, turning things over and investigating every crack and crevice. So where do you look”
So as you can see, it may take a very long time to do a thorough and complete job and honestly that is what you want isn’t it? Oh by the way that last photo is carpet beetle larva skins, so sometimes you find more than what you were looking for.
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The termites in Arizona act a bit different than the East Coast relatives, typically the Eastern Subterranean termites do damage without becoming visible. With that being said, nothing is certain and always simple, termites are termites and will often do what they want to do, not according to the book. The damage eventually becomes noticeable and then that is where it becomes a horror story. The Western Subterranean termites will make mud tubes over the foundation or make little tubes in the drywood or make little exit type holes. The Eastern Sub’s will make exit holes but in relation to swarming.
The Western Sub’s also make down tubes quite often, as the picture below shows. I have actually seen tubes over 5 foot long stretching almost back to the garage floor.
If you find signs, just call a Pest Management Professional and do some checking with the BBB or a referral from a friend (Kudzu).
Hey, what’s that hanging from my ceiling?
With all the rains we have had it is not surprising to any of us that termites are still very active. This is a frequent little phenomenon that happens here with our desert termites. They find their way into our homes and follow the wood grain, hit the next 2×4 and then follow that grain and rather than return the longer way they attempt to go back down from where they are at the moment. Tricky little bugs, right?
So before you just clean it up and disregard it, check it out – is it dirt and do you see any little white 6 legged ant type critters. Surprise, it’;s probably termites – give us a call to make sure 480-831-9328
I can spot these from the streets – termite tubes… Can you?
Well it’s that time of year to be watching out for termites here in Arizona. Monsoon brings water and rain and the termites begin to forage because of it. So this is what you keep an eye out for, mud tubes or tunnels and if they get into the home drop tubes or damage on the sheetrock or drywall.
So if you see something suspicious call us to take a look, it may be nothing or it might be those pesky little termites. p
ProBest Pest Management
425 W. Guadalupe Road #110
Gilbert, Arizona 85233
480-831-9328 or 623-414-0176
What are the 6 kinds of Bed Bugs? 
OK I’m stealing this from Jeff Tucker with BASF but I thought it was great and I added one to the mix.
