Concrete termites

I noticed wood problem, contacted local contractor.....he replaced door frame....now 5 years later...same door frame infested, plus concrete. My new contractor advised, the previous contractor failed to chip out infested concrete, nor did he use creosote, to treat infected area, or the wood he installed. Just another buyer be ware.....I am now in the middle of unnecessary...expense....no I didn't get second opinion.....my bad......Bottom line, I now know how to test concrete walls for infestation... .....next time I buy....will nail the suckers.....check the interior walls by tapping with hammer....listen for hollow sounds.....we are repairing all this week.

so sorry! just make sure they flee to the other end of the fracc! Preferably open area sin casas! They're NOT invited to MY HOUSE! lol

Termites don't eat concrete. But they will come through the tiniest of cracks.

Solovino wrote:Termites don't eat concrete. But they will come through the tiniest of cracks.

Solo...they eat concrete.....I have been infested....they go thru wood....trrim...now concrete

Jim W wrote:

Solovino wrote:Termites don't eat concrete. But they will come through the tiniest of cracks.

Solo...they eat concrete.....I have been infested....they go thru wood....trrim...now concrete

No they don't. Urban legend. They eat cellulose.

I too have seen burrows in concrete from termites down in Manzinillo. They may not actually digest it but they do appear to chew to tunnel through it. Or they are using the tunnels of something else........

CanuckBob wrote:I too have seen burrows in concrete from termites down in Manzinillo. They may not actually digest it but they do appear to chew to tunnel through it. Or they are using the tunnels of something else........

Read my first post. They come through cracks in concrete. They also like to follow electrical conduit into the home. It is very common to see their mud trails coming out from light boxes.

Read here:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg064

Whew! That's a lot of info to digest... and it's not even printed on cellulose. Lizzy

Good one Lizzy! ROTFLMAO.

I've been using PVC glue to seal their little entrance holes in one room. Took them a week to chew thru one coat. 2-3 coats has stopped them for a month now

When you find a termite trail in your home, load a medium size syringe with insecticide and inject it directly at the end of the trail. The dirt will absorb the poison and it will be sucked down into the wall, floor or whatever the trail exits from. That will be the end of that column. You will also avoid contaminating large areas by using this method.

Another method is boric acid powder. We use refillable plastic ketchup dispensers you can pick up at the tianguis filled with boric acid powder Remove switch and outlet covers and squirt the powder into conduit. You can also squirt it into any cracks or crevices where the critters may someday appear. In Jim's case behind the door jamb at the floor. We apply boric acid to the backs and bottoms of cabinetry before we install We also spread it liberally on the floor where the cabinets we be installed.

We redid a kitchen a few years back where they came in thru the stove vent ducting. The trails were literally 6 to 8 inches wide and a half inch thick.

Great tip Solo. It was probably those mud trails that looked like chewed concrete when I saw them before. They sure do give off the illusion that they are burrowing through solid concrete. The fellow I was with even told me that they were "concrete termites" so the myth is pretty widespread.

Boric acid is amazing stuff.

Yes, it is. Throwing it in the drains keeps the roaches down.

How does one get rid of them? My contractor is telling me he must remove sections of concrete?

I had termites when I bought my house. The architect said paint the new wood with a product called "Contra Termita". All the old wood came out and new wood was painted with this stuff which I bought at Prisa. So far no new termites.

Jim W wrote:How does one get rid of them? My contractor is telling me he must remove sections of concrete?

Jim, if your contractor wants to replace the concrete because he believes that these termites do eat concrete then maybe consider getting a different guy. If he wants to replace it because it is cracked and letting the termites in then that is different............Did he give a reason?

Thank You Simsca....My question is, do you have to replace concrete or can you drill holes and treat areas?

CanuckBob wrote:

Jim W wrote:How does one get rid of them? My contractor is telling me he must remove sections of concrete?

Jim, if your contractor wants to replace the concrete because he believes that these termites do eat concrete then maybe consider getting a different guy. If he wants to replace it because it is cracked and letting the termites in then that is different............Did he give a reason?

Thanks Bob, He says the hollow sounding areas must be replaced....

Those hollow sounding areas are probably air pockets from the original pour which is giving those termites a "clubhouse" in your wall?

http://www.termite.com/termite-control.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig097
http://www.concrete.net.au/publications/pdf/Termites.pdf
http://www.pested.msu.edu/Resources/bulletins/pdf/2047/E2047chap4.pdf
http://nontoxictermite.sustainablesources.com/

How about a little reading to learn from others who have studied the problem?

Jim W wrote:

CanuckBob wrote:

Jim W wrote:How does one get rid of them? My contractor is telling me he must remove sections of concrete?

Jim, if your contractor wants to replace the concrete because he believes that these termites do eat concrete then maybe consider getting a different guy. If he wants to replace it because it is cracked and letting the termites in then that is different............Did he give a reason?

Thanks Bob, He says the hollow sounding areas must be replaced....

The guy is trying to hose you. If you cut out a section concrete and re-pour it you will have what is called a cold pour. The new concrete will not adhere to the old. You'll have a crack they will come right back through. The termites probably have a huge nest below your home. Until they are eliminated, you will continue to have problems.

Googled and found this article:

Although they feed mostly on wood, they will eat other cellulose-containing materials such as cardboard and paper. However, they are known to chew through foam insulation boards, thin lead and copper sheeting, plaster, asphalt, and some plastics.

Is It True They Eat Concrete?
Contrary to popular myth, FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES DO NOT EAT CONCRETE nor can the soldier's defensive fluid dissolve holes in concrete. These rumors continue because Formosan subterranean termites are always digging through the soil. Because of this continuous activity, they are likely to find cracks and crevices in concrete or mortar and gain entry to a structure. This can fool someone into thinking that Formosan subterranean termites can eat through solid concrete.

There are 2 ways that house foundations are built here. The old and more traditional method is to use strip footings made of rock and then once the walls are built to pour an unreinforced slab, called a firme inside the footings. And a lot of the time they pour this in small batches which creates innumerous cold joints. This method leaves the house far more vulnerable to termites. The crack between the rock foundation walls and the firme provides a great entry point for termites.

The other method is poring a reinforced concrete slab on top of poured concrete strip footings and then place the take off beam for the walls on top of the slab. The termites can't penetrate a properly constructed slab. They will climb the outside of the house until they find an opening. They also take advantage of places are around water and gas lines and conduit.

When we pour a foundation we spread boric acid below the plastic moisture barrier. A kilo is sufficient to cover about 10m2. We also throw some along the outside of the footings but I am not sure how much gets leached away with the rain. Its cheap so I figure why not give it a shot.