Are The Beetles Different From Termites? 



Yes. Except that both groups of 

 insects consume wood, their habits are 

 entirely different. Termites live in 

 colonies, usually underground, and 

 send large numbers of adult workers 

 to mine the wood and thus bring food 

 to the nest. Termites rarely make sur- 

 face holes in the wood, and they tend 

 to remove the interior wood more or 

 less completely, rather than merely 

 tunneling into it. Wooden members 

 excavated by subterranean termites 

 may contain particles of dried mud, 



and there may be mud tubes or other 

 connections by which the workers re- 

 turn to the soil. White-bodied, fully 

 matured workers can usually be seen 

 moving around when termite-infested 

 wood is broken open. Beetle larvae, in 

 their winding, dust-filled tunnels, are 

 wormlike in shape, without legs. When 

 termites are well established they will 

 send up swarms of brown or black 

 adults each spring. Beetles never 

 swarm. 



My House Has Been Treated For Termites. Will That Keep The 

 Beetles Out Of The Crawl Space? 



No. For termite control, insecticides on the damaged wood. They give no 

 are usually placed in the soil under or protection against beetles flying to the 

 near building foundations or directly joists and subflooring. 



In a House On a Concrete Slab, What Are The Likely Points For 

 Infestation? 



If all exposed wood is painted or 

 varnished, it's difficult for flying adult 

 beetles to enter slab houses. When 

 damage occurs, it nearly always is be- 

 cause infested lumber was used in 

 building. Most lumber now is kiln- 

 dried; properly done, this process 

 destroys eggs, larvae, and pupae. 



Sometimes, however, the lumber be- 

 comes infested in storage. Most dam- 

 age to slab houses occurs within 5 

 years after construction. If no beetles 

 emerge in that time, the house usually 

 can be considered safe from beetle 

 attack. 



What About a Raised House? 



A new raised house is also subject 

 to early hazard from infested lumber. 



In addition, the wood exposed in 

 the crawl space remains open to attack 



as long as the building stands. The 

 joists and subflooring should there- 

 fore be inspected yearly. 



What Precautions Can I Take? 



Chance of attack is lessened if the 

 crawl space is well drained. If the soil 

 cannot be kept dry, spreading a mois- 

 ture barrier (polyethylene plastic or 



roll roofing) over it will prevent mois- 

 ture vaporizing from the soil and con- 

 densing on the under parts of the 

 house. Keeping the wood dry by this 



