We had left our RV parked at the King County Fairgrounds in Enumclaw, WA (southeast of Seattle) while we flew back east to a conference for about a week. I had left a wood clothes rack outside leaning against the tires while we were gone and when we came back there were hundreds of termites that came out of it. I threw the clothes rack in the dumpster because I didn't want to put it in the RV. Should I be concerned about termites getting into the RV?
I've never dealt with termites before and don't really know much about them (other than they are not so good for wood structures). Does anyone have any advice about these creatures? How can I tell if they got into the RV? Is there anything I can do to get rid of them if they did get inside?
Thanks, Colleen
retread said
12:08 AM Jun 22, 2009
So sorry to hear this! What a welcome back to your RV!
It might be a good idea to have an exterminator inspect the RV. If a week has passed since the termites found your clothes rack, there's no telling whether they might have entered. There might be some signs of termite pellets, but an exterminator once told us that once you've seen the termites on the ground surface, you may or may not have them in your home (bricks and sticks). Any evidence is worth treating as if they are in the home. I would expect the exterminator to be able to do a treatment for a nominal charge as opposed to the full blown treatments for a 'bricks and sticks' house.
phyllen said
04:41 AM Jun 22, 2009
First - are you positive they were termites? They might well have been some type of flying ant. They look very much alike. A few times I thought we had termites at the house and they turned out not to be.
Phyllis
Tim & Robyn said
04:46 AM Jun 22, 2009
I don't know that much about termites either, other than I just had to have a couple windows replaced, and some of wall studs on our stix-n-brix - and that's with an ongoing termite protection plan with guarantees. Somehow they found a way to get around the protection barrier.
If you google termites you'll find a lot of information. Here's a snippet I found at a '.edu' suffixied website:
" Moisture is important to subterranean termites, which have very little resistance to dehydration. To survive, they must maintain contact with the soil (their primary moisture source) or other above-ground moisture sources, such as in structures with defective plumbing or guttering.
Subterranean termites also must protect themselves from temperature extremes and attack by such natural enemies as ants and other insects. Termites foraging for food above ground protect themselves with shelter tubes, which are sometimes called mud tubes (Fig. 4). Worker termites build the tubes from particles of soil or wood and bits of debris held together by salivary secretions. The tubes may be thinly constructed or large and thick-walled to accommodate many termites moving vertically between the soil and the food source.
This construction material also is found lining the galleries built in wood being attacked and aids in identifying termite-damaged wood. Shelter tubes often are used to bridge masonry or other objects, allowing termites access to a food source (wood) above ground."
So, it these were subterranean termites it's hard to see how they could maintain contact with the soil from an RV.
Just about the only thing I do know is that there is now an invasive species, Formosan termites, that are voracious and can cause ten times as much damage in a year as native species.
If it's not too late, you could retrieve the clothes rack and take it to an exterminator to see if they can identify the species. I'd definitely call one anyway to take a look at the RV, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.
thebearII said
08:00 AM Jun 22, 2009
We've had termites in several of our RV's, it's a common problem in California.
There are sprays you can purchase at home centers to take care of the termites. There are home remedies as well, look on the internet. I've heard orange or peppermint oil works.
Or head for really hot and dry, or really cold area and spend some time, the termites will die off.
TrishsTravco said
08:23 AM Jun 22, 2009
Pretty much, what Tim & Robyn said.
Termites need wood + damp to thrive and they thrive quickly.
A HS friend is now an exterminator and he advised ants. Yes, ants, those little buggers that everyone tries to get rid of... except me... because they eat termite nests and eggs. Now, I do not advocate introducing fire ants, but boring old ants will eat any termite nests in a few days.
To see termite nests, turn off all lights and use a bright flashlight on your joists. If you see a weirdly white sheen, it's termites.
Of course, how to view a wooden frame(?) in an RV... I have no idea.
pierreandcolleen said
11:03 AM Jun 22, 2009
I first suspected they were termites when the folded up metal/cloth lounge chair next to it didn't have even one of those things on it. When I picked up the clothes rack a bunch fell off. I tapped it a couple times and they just kept falling off. When they got to the ground they just kind of scattered. They looked like the Giant Northern Termite that was on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite.
We have a metal framed RV, but there are wood cabinets and pressed board throughout the RV. I guess I would lean more toward natural treatments. I don't like the idea of spraying my home (RV) with chemicals, especially since it is such a small space.
-Colleen
Tim & Robyn said
02:54 PM Jun 22, 2009
Termites are a real problem here in the South. Where we live I've been told there are, on average, 5 termite colonies per acre. The normal subterranean termites need to keep contact with the soil for mosture, so that's why it is hard for me to imagine how an RV could become infested.... unless the wood components were already infested when the RV was built. That's how the Formosan termites got here.... surplus, infested railroad ties.
However, I have heard that there are some species that don't need to keep contact with the soil... don't know if that's true or not. They have to get water from somewhere.
One question: Did they have wings? If so they could have been swarmers from some other nearby location. They aren't good flyers, so might have come from someplace nearby. I would think that wooded campgrounds, particularly where they don't routinely remove dead/fallen trees would be good candidates for that. Sometimes being 'green' is not so good. Termites serve a useful recycling purpose, as long as it's not your house they're trying to recycle!
Swarmer season is over here in GA. It usually happens in March/April, but would come later in more northern/cooler climates, such as Washington state.
If I were a 'green' person, this is one instance where I'd be more than willing to compromise my principles. If you've got 'em, you want them gone asap. The most noxious (and effective) chemicals, such as chlordane, have already been banned anyway, so if it were me I'd definitely want an inspection and the currently most effective treatment applied if they are there.
Maybe we should all live in poured concrete dwellings (for those of us still in stix-n-brix) . There are plenty of dead trees out there, so it would be nice if the termites would limit it at that; but they aren't very smart, and take their food where they can find it.
TrishsTravco said
07:29 AM Jun 24, 2009
Tim & Robyn wrote:Termites aren't very smart, and take their food where they can find it.
2 things termites love and people love to have: Cypress mulch and railroad ties.
Yes, rr ties are quicker and easier than building a stone or cement retaining wall, but that close to trusses and joists... It's simply not worth it.
You see cypress mulch everywhere. Years ago, I drove a dump truck for a landscaping co that made huge money from tiny evergreens surroounded by cypress mulch. Owner didn't have any mulch around his place and when I asked why, he explained...
Flatland Dan said
11:30 PM Jul 17, 2009
This has been a hot topic for me these past couple of years. I own an older home in SW Ks. with a full basement. This house was origenally built at a nearby gas plant around 1950. It was later moved to its current location in Satanta, Ks. Appairently the basement walls where built first and then the house was set in place. the central support beams were supported by a pair of colums sitting on an unknown sub foundation. then the basement floor was poured. The stage was set for the turmite invasion from the get go. as the house has settled over the years, the termites found there way into the wooden support collums and subsiquently into the floor joist's. since the basement was completley finished I had no idea there was a problem until I noticed a strange crack in the kitchen sheetrock about three years ago. When I investigated I finnally saw the tunnels behind the hot water heater. I've since completley removed all the cieling cover, partitions, the central support beam and the collums. I'm slowley but surley putting it back together as I go since this has to be done out of pocket. In my research on termites I found that there are really only two things I needed to do to keep them from comming back. First seal all the cracks where they can come in and second make sure they have no source of water inside my home. To date I've used no chemicals of any kind to destroy them. I also do use a miner amount of pressure treated lumber when I cross an exsisting crack with a new partition. Like a foot long piece just in that immediate area. Apparently they hate the stuff. Just some first hand experiance with the little wonders. I truley dought that they are in your rv if its in good shape.
-- Edited by Flatland Dan on Friday 17th of July 2009 11:33:26 PM
I've never dealt with termites before and don't really know much about them (other than they are not so good for wood structures). Does anyone have any advice about these creatures? How can I tell if they got into the RV? Is there anything I can do to get rid of them if they did get inside?
Thanks,
Colleen
It might be a good idea to have an exterminator inspect the RV. If a week has passed since the termites found your clothes rack, there's no telling whether they might have entered. There might be some signs of termite pellets, but an exterminator once told us that once you've seen the termites on the ground surface, you may or may not have them in your home (bricks and sticks). Any evidence is worth treating as if they are in the home. I would expect the exterminator to be able to do a treatment for a nominal charge as opposed to the full blown treatments for a 'bricks and sticks' house.
If you google termites you'll find a lot of information. Here's a snippet I found at a '.edu' suffixied website:
" Moisture is important to subterranean termites, which have very little resistance to dehydration. To survive, they must maintain contact with the soil (their primary moisture source) or other above-ground moisture sources, such as in structures with defective plumbing or guttering.
Subterranean termites also must protect themselves from temperature extremes and attack by such natural enemies as ants and other insects. Termites foraging for food above ground protect themselves with shelter tubes, which are sometimes called mud tubes (Fig. 4). Worker termites build the tubes from particles of soil or wood and bits of debris held together by salivary secretions. The tubes may be thinly constructed or large and thick-walled to accommodate many termites moving vertically between the soil and the food source.
This construction material also is found lining the galleries built in wood being attacked and aids in identifying termite-damaged wood. Shelter tubes often are used to bridge masonry or other objects, allowing termites access to a food source (wood) above ground."
So, it these were subterranean termites it's hard to see how they could maintain contact with the soil from an RV.
Just about the only thing I do know is that there is now an invasive species, Formosan termites, that are voracious and can cause ten times as much damage in a year as native species.
If it's not too late, you could retrieve the clothes rack and take it to an exterminator to see if they can identify the species. I'd definitely call one anyway to take a look at the RV, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.
Termites need wood + damp to thrive and they thrive quickly.
A HS friend is now an exterminator and he advised ants. Yes, ants, those little buggers that everyone tries to get rid of... except me... because they eat termite nests and eggs. Now, I do not advocate introducing fire ants, but boring old ants will eat any termite nests in a few days.
To see termite nests, turn off all lights and use a bright flashlight on your joists. If you see a weirdly white sheen, it's termites.
Of course, how to view a wooden frame(?) in an RV... I have no idea.
We have a metal framed RV, but there are wood cabinets and pressed board throughout the RV. I guess I would lean more toward natural treatments. I don't like the idea of spraying my home (RV) with chemicals, especially since it is such a small space.
-Colleen
However, I have heard that there are some species that don't need to keep contact with the soil... don't know if that's true or not. They have to get water from somewhere.
One question: Did they have wings? If so they could have been swarmers from some other nearby location. They aren't good flyers, so might have come from someplace nearby. I would think that wooded campgrounds, particularly where they don't routinely remove dead/fallen trees would be good candidates for that. Sometimes being 'green' is not so good. Termites serve a useful recycling purpose, as long as it's not your house they're trying to recycle!
Swarmer season is over here in GA. It usually happens in March/April, but would come later in more northern/cooler climates, such as Washington state.
If I were a 'green' person, this is one instance where I'd be more than willing to compromise my principles. If you've got 'em, you want them gone asap. The most noxious (and effective) chemicals, such as chlordane, have already been banned anyway, so if it were me I'd definitely want an inspection and the currently most effective treatment applied if they are there.
Maybe we should all live in poured concrete dwellings (for those of us still in stix-n-brix)
Cypress mulch and railroad ties.
Yes, rr ties are quicker and easier than building a stone or cement retaining wall, but that close to trusses and joists... It's simply not worth it.
You see cypress mulch everywhere. Years ago, I drove a dump truck for a landscaping co that made huge money from tiny evergreens surroounded by cypress mulch.
Owner didn't have any mulch around his place and when I asked why, he explained...
Just some first hand experiance with the little wonders. I truley dought that they are in your rv if its in good shape.
-- Edited by Flatland Dan on Friday 17th of July 2009 11:33:26 PM