What are termites? For simplicity of explanation, termites are wood eating insects that have nests in the ground. They love damp wood and are usually found in the lower part of the house, particularly in the sill plate which is the first structural section of wood closest to the ground. In some houses termites, or other wood destroying insects can even be found in the attic areas.

Can one see termites? Are they like ants? It is very difficult to actually "see" a termite. The simple reason being that the worker termite that eats the wood cannot live in the sunlight and air. To survive the worker termite must (a) stay out of the sunlight and air therefore they stay in the shelter of the wood , out of sight, and (b) they must return to the soil for moisture quite frequently and they do this by building mud tunnels to stay out of sunlight and air. For these reasons, it takes the practiced eye of a professional termite inspector to know where to look for termites and where to probe the wood to locate the termites.

Precautions to Avoid Termites

1. Keep water away from the house. Termites love moist wood.
2. Do not store wood on the ground near the house, particularly under the deck or porch.
3. Keep firewood away from the house and only bring it into the house when you are going to burn it immediately. It is very unlikely that termites brought in with firewood will start an infestation because their moisture route to the nest has been broken.
4. Inspect the garage and house foundation for small mud tunnels going from the ground to the wood.