Simply Resourceful

Simple ways to be more conscious about how we use our resources.

Dealing with Termites

Less than a year after purchasing our home we found a spot in the floor of the breakfast room that heaved a bit.  We figured it was from moisture and the fact that the installer nailed this "floating floor" around the edges which created the bulge.  Well, Jon decided to replace the 3 boards that were ruined (thank you previous owners for leaving extra flooring!) and when he opened the floor, this is what he found...

Lovely...and there were termites crawling around.  Apparently they eat sub-flooring because you can see it crumbled to pieces. This small 8x10 room has a crawlspace (the only part of the home with a crawlspace) and it is very damp under there because there isn't cross ventilation and the previous owner didn't cover the entire space with plastic.

We decided to remove ALL fiber material (e.g. cardboard) and wood from under the porch including the woodpile left by the previous owners.  We stacked it far from the house and sure enough those logs were light as feathers and infested with termites.  We call this our $1,000 wood pile.  The wood will be used this winter for maple syrup boiling. 

We chose to use the Sentricon protection system for our home instead of dumping gallons of pesticides into the ground.  The Sentricon system is a bait that entices the termites to eat the food that prevents them from molting which kill the worker termites and eventually the entire colony. 

Our tropical plants are looking great for their first year!  After transplanting and watering, Jon noticed termites in the soil!!!

In the picture above, Jon and Paul are sifting through the soil and smashing the termites.  Just our luck...there was a small hole in the bag of soil that was stored under the porch.  The termites were eating the wood chips in the soil. 

A close-up of a termite in the potting soil. 


4 comments :

Unknown October 24, 2013 at 8:01 AM  

It's a good thing that you discovered the termite infestation even before they could make further damage to your property. And as there are different ways with which you can tackle the issue, it's also great to hear that you quickly acted on the matter. Just to be sure though, call for expert termite and pest busters to make sure that there aren't any termites left. Best of luck!
Maurice @ Pestecute Pest Control

Unknown October 30, 2013 at 8:43 AM  

In Kenya termites are treats for the kids. Maybe you can fry them up!

Rudi Schafer February 4, 2014 at 10:08 AM  

It is great that you started off the year by dealing with those pesky termites. People often tend to overlook the small things. But you stepped into action, and nipped that problem squarely in the bud. You should unleash the most exacting termite removal, soon as this bit of problem rears its snipping face again.

Times Up Termite

Unknown February 5, 2014 at 3:19 PM  

Termites destroys our home so we really need to protect it. We can get help from pests experts in Houston. As an example is a Houston commercial pest control services.

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A weekly update on our adventures of trying to be more self-sufficient by using resources wisely. We explore a variety of topics that most broadly fit in the "Homesteading" category, i.e. beekeeping, organic gardening, edible landscaping/fruit forest, food preservation/canning, woodworking, soap-making, and environmental stewardship.

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