INSECT ENEMIES OF EASTERN FORESTS A5 
prevention of termite attack. Every town or city should have speci- 
fications in the mandatory sections of its building codes, calling for 
termite-proof construction. Specifications can be obtained from the 
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. 
A strong, impervious, moisture-proofed foundation and avoidance of 
any untreated woodwork within 18 inches of the ground on the inside 
and 6 to 8 inches on the outside will practically prevent termite 
damage. 
The foundation of a building is the most important link in the 
chain of termite movement between the soil and the woodwork. The 
walls should be constructed of the best materials available, with ample 
footings on firm subsoil to make them impervious to termites through 
subsequent settling and cracking. All surfaces of masonry units 
composed of hollow tile or cement blocks in contact with the ground 
should be well plastered with cement mortar and the top capped with 
a +-inch layer of poured concrete, reinforced to prevent cracking. The 
mortar used in walls of unit-block construction should contain Port- 
jand cement. 
Termite Shields 
Metal shields should be considered only as a supplement to good 
construction and not as a substitute for it. Where termite injury is 
very serious as in the Southern States and in the Tropics, it may be 
desirable to use shields as an additional precaution. They must be 
very carefully designed and installed, otherwise they will be ineffective. 
Under certain conditions termites will build earthlike tubes over the 
surface of a wall to reach woodwork without exposing themselves to 
the hght. They build these tubes in protected places or along the in- 
side walls of moist cellars, or under dirt-filled porches where poor 
ventilation or none exists. A simple metal sheet of noncorrosive mate- 
rial such as 16-ounce copper or 26-gage galvanized iron, placed on top 
of the foundation, posts, or pillars, and around pipes, is helpful in 
preventing termites from gaining access to the woodwork above. 
The shield should form a cap over the foundation and should project 
2 inches horizontally and then downward at an angle of about 45° 
for 2 more inches. Care must be exercised to have tight joints between 
shield pieces. The shield method is the most efficient and one of the 
cheapest methods of preventing termites from gaining entrance. The 
work of placing the shields must be done thoroughly to obtain the 
desired results. Where the outside wall is exposed for easy inspec- 
tion, the exterior projection of the shield may be omitted 1f its appear- 
ance would be undesirable. 
Basement Floors 
Special care should be taken in constructing the basement floor. 
Too frequently the builder leaves wooden supports to stairs, coal 
bins, or doorframes in contact with the earth and pours the concrete 
floor by puddling the cement around them. Again, many builders 
fail to realize the danger of a termite attack and place sleepers or 
floors on a cinder, slag, or thin rough-grout base, and cracks develop 
through which termites can penetrate to the wood. After termites 
have entered in this manner, or directly through the cinder base, it 1s 
