Termites in Stumps

Yesterday I went to see one of our commercial client’s who was panicked because he found live Formosan termites in the baseboard and walls of an apartment unit. The building had a tree stump next to the slab, which I had asked the management company to remove years ago since termites will infest any source of cellulose. In this case, even though the building was properly treated with Termidor, the stump allowed Formosan termites to bridge over the chemically treated soil, infest the building, and cause damage. The property manager was now willing to dig up and remove the stump, which he did while I was there. I treated the new soil that had been added to the stump hole, and foamed (Premise insecticide foam) inside the interior walls where the infestation was located.

Arceneaux’s Tips

I like to offer a few tips to consumers on how to deal with the issues on an on-going basis as well. Along with keeping the annual termite contract current, homeowners should make sure there is no source of cellulose for termites to be attracted to, or feed on, next to their house and follow instructions of their pest control company.