Termites on newly collected tree

[amkhalid]

Hi everyone;

I've noticed that on a thuja I collected last fall there are termites eating some of the thick dead rotted roots under the soil.

Is this something I should be concerned about? Will they harm the living tissue?

Once the tree is recovered, I will repot it and remove the dead/rotting roots, but that may not be for a couple of years.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Kirk]

Termites and carpenter ants can create some amazing deadwood that is almost impossible for human hands to replicate. If they are eating something you want to keep or deadwood that provides integral structure and support then it would be a problem.

Kirk

 

[JudyB]

I would make sure that they were not near my house, but I don't think that anywhere close is safe. They may not have come with the tree, you may have a colony somewhere near. It's a pretty scary thing for your house... google it, and maybe have a exterminator come take a look.
Termites are not something to fool around with.

 

[amkhalid]

Thanks both for the advice.

I do know for a fact that they came with the tree. Termites are generally not an issue around here, and the only place I have ever seen them is in rotted areas of collected thuja. I know they come with the trees because last spring I collected a very old thuja and when potting it up the day after collecting, I saw the termites. That tree didn't survive - although I'm pretty sure that had nothing to do with the termites.

Still, they have me concerned - if not for the tree, then for my property. I am looking into baiting options.

 

[JudyB]

do it fast, I know that if they start a colony in your area, they are extremely difficult to eradicate. Perhaps if they are only with the tree, you can take care of them there. Just look for trails that they may make from the tree to a nest. They don't like light, and will make tunnels from the things they like to eat, to their nests.

 

[edprocoat]

I would definetly kill the termites before they swarm. Termites spread their colonies like several species of ants by sending out winged producers. When they swarm it will not be just your house that will be damaged your neighbors will be affected too, I once worked on a house that by the time the owner had seen the little piles of chewed wood droppings near his baseboards he already had over $50,000 dollars damage to his structure. These things can be devastating and hide real well while causing damage.

ed

 

[amkhalid]

OK now I'm pretty terrified!

My plan is to buy one of the bait stations that are normally placed in 50 ft intervals around the perimeter of the house. Apparently this draws out the termites. I was thinking of burying one in a pot and placing it right next to the affected tree.

These stations apparently are not the best solution for a termite-ridden house, but hopefully one will be enough to deal with the pests that hitchhiked along with this tree.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[jason biggs]

i found quite a few pots infested with termites but they don't seem to eat the living tissue too much-or bother the trees too much.Ithink they are looking for water?? As has already been said, these little mothers will destroy a house structure in no time-any wood structure will also get nailed