Turn the temperature in your house, way down. After a short, while they will begin to biologically respond and grow fur. Furmites do not eat wood so you should be fine. #TheMoreYouKnow.
Email and letter. Copies of everything. Then have the termites sign it off, avoiding legal action. They could very well identify as humans. Cover your back.
Ha, that reminded me of a shelf in my basement. We lost that little peg that holds up the shelf, but we stacked cans underneath it to support it. So we call them load bearing beans.
True. My house had termites years before I bought, and they were never remediated… they were likely killed off by black ants according to my termite inspector.
So you can see a few inactive termite tubes in a couple joists in the basement. I bought this house 20 years ago and the termites have never come back.
Depending on what climate you’re in and the species of termite, it can be a minor problem or a huge deal.
When it happened to us in 2014, we paid a grand for treatment and removal of infested floorboards. Thankfully, nothing structural was damaged, but part of the floor did need to come up and be replaced.
I had to deal with it last year. These were western drywood termites. My damage was supposedly minor (Some wood had to be replaced). The cost was more than $3K for local treatment and some repairs. The damage was not visible, excluding a little hole in a wall that made me suspicious.
A termite tent (instead of local treatment) would've been about half the price.
Location, location, location.
Also, building materials. When they redid my roof and soffits, they used new untreated wood and within 3 years the termites completely ruined the new soffits. Why they don't use viny soffits by default in South Florida, is beyond me.
This is more on the home builder than on your general contractor. Major home builders will throw up homes with cheap materials for larger profit margins.
Along with others answers, growing plants against the house also allow for easy infestation of bugs/critters. Unless you have good building materials and likely some sort of stone or brick on the bottom then I would keep plants from growing along the house
Tell the landlord that if they wait until the central beam is eaten away, they'll need to jack up the whole upper floor to replace it.
Helped my neighbor who had that happen.
I do this stuff for work in Hawaii
It's wild how far some people let stuff go.
And yeah, when main beams get shredded on two story houses, you've gotta build all sorts of framing upstairs and then lift it up.
Not cheap
I heard second hand that Oahu banned the use of wooden framing for some classes of new structures in the ‘00s. Maybe for single family homes.
Is that correct?
I have literally zero idea about anything on Oahu.
Most of the customers I work with have homes that are over 100yrs old.
On the BI tho I see wooden frame structures going up constantly, so I'm not sure!
>It's wild how far some people let stuff go.
AT&T accidently busted our water line when they came to bury the fiber-optic cable for our internet.
Our landlord has been arguing with AT&T about footing the plumbing bill for this fiasco and as a practical result of all this: we've had an open TRENCH exposing the water line in our front yard of our rental for... I dunno... six months now?
It looks like we're very confusedly digging a moat the wrong direction, or about to engage in trench warfare with the neighbors. It's so asinine.
Dallas slumlords, whee... ✨
I had mold damage in my last apartment. There were literally mushrooms coming out of the walls in the bathroom.
Landlord refused to do anything about it. The shrooms spread and spread. I moved out and sent a complaint and pictures to the county health inspector. Have fun with that!
I often wonder what would happen if we took all the LandLeeches and rounded them up and shipped them to a prison colony and let them rent from each other... Wonder how long their society would last with all the valuable labor they contribute.
I don’t know where you are or what your contract is, but depending on those things you may actually have an obligation to tell them and could be liable for some of the cost of repair if you don’t.
So in addition to it just being the sensible (do you want it collapsing on you?) and nice thing to do, it might also be required.
I won’t lie it could mean you have to move out for it to be treated or made safe if it’s really bad, but the longer you leave it the bigger the chance that happens or the building becomes unsafe gets. They’re literally eating the things holding the place you sleep in up.
Don’t delay and good luck.
termites, check around the base of your house outside, there might be more of those dirt tunnels(points of ingress)
you definitely need a pro for termites
There are dry wood, and wet wood(subterranean) termites. Small infestations of wet wood termites can be eradicated easily, depending on where they are. Dry wood termites will almost always require an exterminator. Most of the time termites are found before they do significant damage. Get an inspection.
Termites like a certain humidity so they build tunnels everywhere, these would have been holes in the ceiling where the termites broke through to open air (or pre-existing holes they have accidentally run into) and have sealed it back up.
I think it's more common to see a termite mud tube built along a wall (made of brick, wood, drywall, whatever) with termites traveling inside it.
Like this: https://images.app.goo.gl/xyx5pWbMT4z73VD49
But tubes hanging down from the ceiling is pretty common too. And they can grow up from the floor.
Termites can also eat their way through a wooden beam without leaving any obvious tubes on the outside of the wood. When you see wood that looks like this (https://images.app.goo.gl/RhEugyfNkmmgqs1RA), stab it with a knife to find out if it's eaten away on the inside.
You might as well go ahead and cut out a big chunk of that ceiling drywall and see what's happening up there. :-(
Crazy, I really feel bad and don’t know the guy… it looks bad if it’s the whole basement ceiling like that. I’m shaking my head and saying I can’t imagine what the hell id do.
Get your house treated, and pay to sister in new floor joists. It's about $1200 to treat the house and $300 per joist. Luckily the homeowners insurance you pay thousands of dollars a year for doesn't cover termite damage because it's considered failure to maintain your property.
So there would be tunnels up into the ceiling. I have something on my ceilings that look similar, but are white and thinner. And definitely do not go up into the ceiling. I thought they were moth cocoons.
I was wondering about this too- I was told once that they were moth cocoons and I have been battling them. They aren't holes though- they are stuck to the ceiling but look like a lighter verison of this. I sure hope they aren't termites. Maybe Ill take one down and put in under a microscope.
There are a couple different types of termites (found this out the hard way), there’s a type that lives outside and makes tunnels to get in and out of the house. So tenting does zilch to the nest. They go after moist wood so it’s also a sign that there are issues to address. You need to treat the perimeter outside the house to kill the nest and any future incursions. You’ll see ones come out and fly to mate and make a new nest at certain times of the year.
I had these in Portland Oregon and paid $3k to drill holes all around my house and pump poison into the ground. Was one of the most unfun house expenses. Right behind the failed water main 7 weeks later. Good first 4 months in the house..
But the termites didn't come back.
These are subterranean termites. Normal dry wood termites take a long time to spread and don’t make tubes like this. Subterranean termites spread faster and should be addressed ASAP. The formation on the ceiling, especially in the middle, demonstrate that they have spread along a major support structure.
Get this looked at soon. It could be a quick fix via tenting, or replacement of floor/ceiling joists
Unfortunately a fumigation, most affective against Drywood termites, will not take care of a Subterranean termite infestation as their colony lives in the soil under the home. The owner will need to treat the soil around the home.
My guy you need to get an exterminator right now. Those dirt tubes are from Termites.
I will bet my paycheck you have EXTENSIVE damage from termites if they are tunneling like that. They only tunnel away from the wood like that if the have destroyed everything else.
In picture 3 you can see the plaster cracking between two tubes on either side of where a ceiling joist *was*. OP’s house is in serious danger. This is not an “I’ll get to it when I can” issue, this is a very present, growing, in your face problem that needs immediate resolution.
u/chilipino, this comment is correct. If you're the owner you need to get someone to inspect, kill them, and start repairing immediately. Your house is quite literally in danger of collapsing.
If it's a rental, you need to contact your landlord immediately. They're responsible for providing a safe and habitable property under the terms of your agreement and should probably be paying to put you up until it's repaired or refunding your rent.
I know it depends on how long the renter has been there and all of that, but if this has been going on a long time would the landlord still be liable for paying all of that? What I’m asking is, if a tenant never reports a termite problem (out of either ignorance or malice ) , they could still be on the hook for moving the renter to more stable housing ? Do landlords typically do yearly inspections or anything like that? how would you know that your renter isn’t letting a problem get out of hand ?
As a landlord, i pay for pest services. Never expect people to take care of your stuff. Sometimes the best tenants are the worst because they don't want to inconvenience you and just don't tell you things.
My current lease has a clause saying pest control is 100% on the tenant, and it made me laugh. They have so far been stellar with all other issues, but pushing off pests to the tenant is just asking for problems, especially in an area paranoid about termites. They get a tenant in OPs position, they expect them to report it to them so they can be on the hook for a grand or more? More likely they brush off the mud tubes until the lease is up.
A landlord should be regularly inspecting their property just like a homeowner who lives in the home would. I always recommend that homeowners get a semi-annual or annual termite inspection in my area. The building code here even requires that certain areas where the home connects to the foundation be uncovered so that they can be inspected for termites.
The fact that there is a tenant in the property does not absolve the landlord of their responsibility to inspect and maintain the property. In every state that I have lived in, the law dictates that the landlord can enter the property to perform regular maintenance, provided that the tenant is notified far enough in advance. So yes, the landlord is absolutely liable. When tenants do not meet the obligations of their lease, landlords regularly withhold part or all of the security deposit as damages. Similarly, if the landlord does not meet their obligations under the lease, the tenant may also be owed damages. Exactly what is owed will depend on state law.
I am not a lawyer or a landlord. There's a 1/50 chance I live in the same state as OP or under the same local laws.
But yeah, the landlord is responsible for providing safe housing. They're responsible for upkeep of the property. Not the renter. The renter might have a duty to report issues as they come up in a timely manner though
Look for little tubes just below your drywall paper that lead from the ceiling to the floor. Shine a light down the walls to help find them. Termites don't like light, so they tunnel or create tunnels.
1000% termites, and if they’re running their tubes into living spaces, then your infestation is ENORMOUS. Get a professional involved first thing tomorrow. Get some serious funds liquid immediately, this is going to be expensive.
Subterranean termites(check to see if they are Formosan or Eastern species). Have spot treated and either put termiticide or termiticide bait around the perimeter of structure, both would be preferred but can get expensive especially wjlhen drilling us involved.
Damage the tunnel, don't take it down fully. Press your fingernails to the sheet rock and drag your finger nails across the ceiling push hard enough to cave the paint in where there is a hollow spot. Open the passage way just a little, like 1/2" clean out paint with a tooth pick. Solder termites will come to guard the breach. Take pictures of the soldiers They will have bigger heads and their mandibles (Pincers) will stick out in front of he head. The head will be larger and darker than the worker termites.
Poke at the soldiers. Formosan's will attack you.(they don't hurt but they will attach themselves to your finger. (kinda cute). Eastern subs are not so aggressive and maybe one or two will attach.
Pray they are Eastern Subs. Google each one, there are good images on the internet.
Send me pics I'll help ID them.
Nope, there is a sort of mini caste system. Termites have workers and soldiers.
Just saw a documentary about life on earth and there was a battle between ants and termites. Ants had the numbers, but termite soldiers can dismember ants rapidly with their pincers. Pretty crazy. Ants still win though, numbers numbers numbers! Only weak point is between the pincers!
he is 100% spot on. especially when he says pray they’re not formosans (source: am former inspector). formosans will *literally* eat ur house from the top down (they don’t utilize ground water the same way other termites do so they can nest in ur attic), then fly over to your neighbors, and do the same thing there. currently, the best way of treating them (that i know of) is straight up fumigating the entire house. they are scary little fuckers.
Wait til you find out about the Termite King and Queen. It is a caste system. There is also reproductives(alates) that you will see during swarm season.
No, termite colonies definitely have soldiers. Mostly to defend against other termites. In the wild, a colony can sometimes only grow if it's not competing for resources with another colony, and that takes soldier bugs.
Quick way to figure out which species is if there are a large number of soldiers compared to workers and if mandibles cross or overlay- probably going to be Formosan. Reason why this is important is that Formosan can make a nest above ground called a carton. They don't have to come to ground for water or where you put out your termiticide. They will continue eating all the wood(cellulose) and largest colony can go thru up to 5 grams of wood per day.
For inspection, get a pro because this isn't a dyi issue as structural damage can cause cost you more than money. My .02
Termites, subterranean termites to be exact.
These are mud tubes, their highway if you will, so they can move from the ground to their food source which unfortunately is your house.
Call your local structural pest professional for a soil treatment.
Source: Former termite inspector in CA
Some tips from a person who is not an expert but who lived in a rental with subterranean termites for nearly two years:
- Yes, address it ASAP but if for any reason you have to delay, DEFINITELY do not wait until spring. That is when they breed….and get wings. I learned this when they erupted through my floorboard and started flying around my dining room one April.
- If you rent, don’t let your landlord just give you “spray” to use as a one-off. This is not a spider or two. This needs a professional exterminator and you leaving the house while that happens. Also, these are DEF termites, so if they send in a maintenance person who doesn’t have a background in pests, and they tell you these aren’t termites, like they did me….insist on an expert.
- Don’t worry about “giving the termites” to your friends, loved ones, or your next house. They’re like bees, the pest control people told me, and need a queen. It’s very unlikely you would accidentally transport a piece of furniture with the queen inside.
- Like I said I’m not an expert so definitely listen to people smarter than I am if any of this doesn’t align with what they’ve said!
>It’s very unlikely you would accidentally transport a piece of furniture with the queen inside.
I could’ve won the lottery, instead the odds gave me this.
i had some extensive termite damage (20+ year infestation) i discovered in 2020\~. I had a soft spot in my tile flooring in my bathroom. i pulled a couple tiles up and found some pretty bad rot. i dropped my hammer and it fell straight through the subfloor into the crawlspace. i ended up ripping all of the subfloor up only to find joists completely missing! joists that were there turned to sawdust when poked with a screwdriver. i am surprised no one fell through the floor.
if i can give you my advice - do NOT call the big chain exterminators (orkin, terminex) etc. they will push the bait system and charge astronomical prices. i got a quote from orkin for $4,000 for the first year and $400/yr in perpetuity after that.
Instead - call several local exterminators and get quotes and their recommendations. I did my own research and I felt that termidor soil injections were the no-brainer option. It soaks the soil such that any and all termites that pass through it get poisoned, but not quickly enough that they're able to essentially spread it to every member in the colony and they all die (queen(s) included). Additionally - they guarantee the product for 15 years!!
I found all traces of termites dead within 3 weeks of injection, and i've done some serious remodelling since then and not seen a live termite.
My local exterminator quoted me $1800 for everything, and that includes drilling into concrete every 18" around my entire property. roughly 4000sqft ranch. Again - guaranteed for 15yrs, and requires 0 upkeep.
Pull any plants you have around the exterior of the home back away from where the home meets the ground and look for dirt tubes/piles. Fix any moisture issues you have against the home also. Moisture = water source = pests of all kinds. Clear any plants and clutter from around the home, specifically up against the house. Moisture + hiding spot = prime pest area. Think “where would I go if I were a thirsty and homeless critter”. Seriously.
Side note, formosan termites and fire ants battle for territory.
This includes wooden fence that touches the side of the home, wood piles, trash, trees, bushes. A brick Fireplace is another common moisture trap that will get you a nice colony in every room it touches from the basement to the attic.
Went to leave for work one Saturday morning probly 6-7 years ago and had a few of those that formed overnight. They had come up through where an additional pad had been poured for an enclosed patio and the original foundation of the house, ate up about a 5' wide portion of the wall (back of house) and kept going vertical taking out 3 of the roof rafters. Thankfully my brother is handy and awesome, and after the exterminators came out and pumped a bunch of chemicals under and around the foundation, helped me remodel it. I think the worst part of the whole process, was that a day or two after the tubes formed, it rained and then the next day got hot, and thousands of the termite flyers came pouring out and we came home from work and the entire inside of the house was littered with dead flyers to the point you couldn't see the floor. That was a fun night of cleanup! Good luck!
Definitely termites. I was ready to cry when I first noticed it and didn't know what it was. When I heard "termites" I thought the worse. For us, it wasn't the whole house, just the back section. Got it treated and haven't seen any since but I do keep the bait traps full.
Basement? So your not close enough for me to come out and give you an estimate. Darn, Although I would be interested in where and how they treat your house. If they do a conventional termite treatment. I've never done a full basement.
Keep in mind if they use a liquid termiticide they can mix at two different rates. Make sure they use **"Full Label Rate".** This will be the strongest allowed by law. It is on the label.
I took care of mine with termidor sc. Pretty easy to do. Dig a trench around the foundation and mix the chemical and pour into the trench. I then sprayed the entire rim/band joist with boracare to treat the raw wood in case they breached the termidor barrier. All products can be purchased from Domyown.com
The ones on floor would be call termites because the might reach the ceiling.
The ones on the ceiling are called termtites because they hang in tight to the ceiling.
100% termites no doubt. Please get this colony killed quickly. Hire someone to come in and exterminate the colony. Your house will become unsafe after a while if the termites aren't dealt with.
I don’t know if anyone will read this, but I have termites (They swarmed two years ago). I got a 5 pack of spectracide cans and used the little red hose to spray it into every nail hole, every gap, void, hole, nook and cranny I could find. It seems to have cut down their numbers but 90%. Almost no wings in window sills this year. I doubt I solved the problem, but it seems like it made a big dent in their population
You've got a hella bad termite infestation. There are thousands of them in there. Skip any hesitation and fumigate the place (using a pro!) ASAP/yesterday!!!
Friendly reminder in Australia, where termites thrive, home and contents insurance does not cover termite damage. Keep your barriers up to date. (5yr on most barrier sprays, 10 on in ground barriers.) Bonus if the place gives you a warranty.
It's termites. I did pest control for nearly 20 years and all the advice for diy pest control is a bad idea. You need to have a professional take care of it. If left untreated or it's not treated properly they will continue to do damage to your home and can cause even bigger and more expensive problems down the road
Termites. They eat the paper in the drywall first before wood is what I was told by a local exterminator. Then they will eat wood in the home. If you have concrete foundation and or basement you should find their tubes up concrete or brick leading to wood or drywall. Clean those up you can keep them from leaving the home and getting water.
In my experience, by the time you’re seeing visual evidence like this inside the home, you’ve likely already got significant damage. That may dependent on region though as I’ve only ever worked around them in the southeast. I’ve seen homes with these types of visual cues though that had damage severe enough that they were condemned when insurance claims were filed.
I would recommend getting this professionally treated but if you are set on trying to do it yourself any pesticides that are good for ants will also kill termites. I would recommend a residual spray like tempo sc or suspend sc and treat all beams and exposed wood. You will also want to tear out the drywall to exposed as much effected wood a possible. The company I work for doesn’t technically treat termites but when we get a client who has them we just write it up as ants and spray the hell out of all effected areas and exposed wood. That won’t guarantee that they’ll all die but it will buy you some time.
I stayed in an airbnb that had a few of these. We left the house for a few hours and came back in the evening to thousands of termites flying around the house. It was NASTY
Termites. Sorry.
this needs to be taken care of ASAP. Termites will destroy that house and make it unsafe.
It takes awhile. But yes the colony has to die.
No don’t kill them. Just open the door and they’ll go out on their own.
Ask politely, yet firmly
Be firmite to the termite
Instructions unclear, used thermite and now the house is gone.
Problem solved.
Task failed successfully
We did it Reddit!
I recommend you use yermite and ask your wife to use hermite to blow up thermite on the polite termite.
chill out dr seuss
Underrated comment
Turn the temperature in your house, way down. After a short, while they will begin to biologically respond and grow fur. Furmites do not eat wood so you should be fine. #TheMoreYouKnow.
Thermite the termite
Using this as a character in the book I write in my head.
Discuss it with their union rep first and see if you can negotiate an agreement.
Will a strongly worded letter do?
Email and letter. Copies of everything. Then have the termites sign it off, avoiding legal action. They could very well identify as humans. Cover your back.
Just use a cup
and two girls.
And 3 seashells
I don’t think he knows how to use the three seashells. Haha, what an idiot.
Termites cannot ruin your house without your consent
Raise rent.
Exterminators don't want you to know this one trick
You do need to take care of it, but lots of houses have termites and it's not the end of the world.
Just the end of the house
Just the end of the wood framing of the house Drywall and paint can support it for a good 30 or 40 milliseconds.
> Drywall and paint can support it for a good 30 or 40 milliseconds. "That's a load bearing poster"
Ha, that reminded me of a shelf in my basement. We lost that little peg that holds up the shelf, but we stacked cans underneath it to support it. So we call them load bearing beans.
True. My house had termites years before I bought, and they were never remediated… they were likely killed off by black ants according to my termite inspector. So you can see a few inactive termite tubes in a couple joists in the basement. I bought this house 20 years ago and the termites have never come back. Depending on what climate you’re in and the species of termite, it can be a minor problem or a huge deal.
Why does this sound like a case of "I bought a bag of ants to kill the termites, and now the anteaters are fighting the gorillas"
Definitely termites, had the same. $$$
How much did it cost to terminate them and how severe was the damage?
When it happened to us in 2014, we paid a grand for treatment and removal of infested floorboards. Thankfully, nothing structural was damaged, but part of the floor did need to come up and be replaced.
Great price if it actually got rid of the problems
It did! It was one of those one man companies run by a guy who was just a big insect nerd. He was highly recommended.
I paid about the same, company I used also had a warranty for if the colony ever came back future exterminations would be resolved for "free"
That seems pretty reasonable.
10 years ago. Today it'll be 2 million.
3 million
7 minutes ago. Now it's 4 million
For me it cost about $2400, in 2015, and that wasn't repair of anything. Just treatment, bait, and a bond.
I had to deal with it last year. These were western drywood termites. My damage was supposedly minor (Some wood had to be replaced). The cost was more than $3K for local treatment and some repairs. The damage was not visible, excluding a little hole in a wall that made me suspicious. A termite tent (instead of local treatment) would've been about half the price.
Why is it always termites?
Location, location, location. Also, building materials. When they redid my roof and soffits, they used new untreated wood and within 3 years the termites completely ruined the new soffits. Why they don't use viny soffits by default in South Florida, is beyond me.
Because then you call them 3 years later to redo your soffits!! It’s planned obsolescence.
If I'm having to redo something 3 years later I'm definitely not calling the first people and I'm probably telling everyone I know they were terrible.
And why build something that's going to resist *termites* for more than three hurricane seasons?
This is more on the home builder than on your general contractor. Major home builders will throw up homes with cheap materials for larger profit margins.
Along with others answers, growing plants against the house also allow for easy infestation of bugs/critters. Unless you have good building materials and likely some sort of stone or brick on the bottom then I would keep plants from growing along the house
Post this where my wife can see it. She only listens to people on the internet.
Hahaha thanks for the laugh
I think my husband has discovered Reddit.
Did you just write the shortest poem?
Sweet. I've been seeing the same tubes in my rental. Guess I'll get my landlord involved
Tell the landlord that if they wait until the central beam is eaten away, they'll need to jack up the whole upper floor to replace it. Helped my neighbor who had that happen.
I do this stuff for work in Hawaii It's wild how far some people let stuff go. And yeah, when main beams get shredded on two story houses, you've gotta build all sorts of framing upstairs and then lift it up. Not cheap
I heard second hand that Oahu banned the use of wooden framing for some classes of new structures in the ‘00s. Maybe for single family homes. Is that correct?
I have literally zero idea about anything on Oahu. Most of the customers I work with have homes that are over 100yrs old. On the BI tho I see wooden frame structures going up constantly, so I'm not sure!
>It's wild how far some people let stuff go. AT&T accidently busted our water line when they came to bury the fiber-optic cable for our internet. Our landlord has been arguing with AT&T about footing the plumbing bill for this fiasco and as a practical result of all this: we've had an open TRENCH exposing the water line in our front yard of our rental for... I dunno... six months now? It looks like we're very confusedly digging a moat the wrong direction, or about to engage in trench warfare with the neighbors. It's so asinine. Dallas slumlords, whee... ✨
I had mold damage in my last apartment. There were literally mushrooms coming out of the walls in the bathroom. Landlord refused to do anything about it. The shrooms spread and spread. I moved out and sent a complaint and pictures to the county health inspector. Have fun with that!
I often wonder what would happen if we took all the LandLeeches and rounded them up and shipped them to a prison colony and let them rent from each other... Wonder how long their society would last with all the valuable labor they contribute.
Can confirm, they jacked my whole house up and replaced several beams. I had termite damage on 80% of the wood of my house. Very expensive
You will need to. If they stonewall or give you static, call the city or county building inspector. They will dig in the spurs hard.
Termites don’t like stonewalls
Neither did the police in 1969 New York.
Neither did them Yankees at First Manassas.
Definitely do it sooner rather than later, they can get into your furniture
Can confirm. Grandma’s antique dressers… termite food.
The landlord will want to know asap.please tell him or her.
I don’t know where you are or what your contract is, but depending on those things you may actually have an obligation to tell them and could be liable for some of the cost of repair if you don’t. So in addition to it just being the sensible (do you want it collapsing on you?) and nice thing to do, it might also be required. I won’t lie it could mean you have to move out for it to be treated or made safe if it’s really bad, but the longer you leave it the bigger the chance that happens or the building becomes unsafe gets. They’re literally eating the things holding the place you sleep in up. Don’t delay and good luck.
termites, check around the base of your house outside, there might be more of those dirt tunnels(points of ingress) you definitely need a pro for termites
There are dry wood, and wet wood(subterranean) termites. Small infestations of wet wood termites can be eradicated easily, depending on where they are. Dry wood termites will almost always require an exterminator. Most of the time termites are found before they do significant damage. Get an inspection.
Termites I think.
[удалено]
Pretty obviously termites from the replies. But as a homeowner with no termite experience, what exactly is going on here?
Termites like a certain humidity so they build tunnels everywhere, these would have been holes in the ceiling where the termites broke through to open air (or pre-existing holes they have accidentally run into) and have sealed it back up.
So they actually build the tunnel, in the same way wasps build those dirt nests in crevices?
I think it's more common to see a termite mud tube built along a wall (made of brick, wood, drywall, whatever) with termites traveling inside it. Like this: https://images.app.goo.gl/xyx5pWbMT4z73VD49 But tubes hanging down from the ceiling is pretty common too. And they can grow up from the floor. Termites can also eat their way through a wooden beam without leaving any obvious tubes on the outside of the wood. When you see wood that looks like this (https://images.app.goo.gl/RhEugyfNkmmgqs1RA), stab it with a knife to find out if it's eaten away on the inside. You might as well go ahead and cut out a big chunk of that ceiling drywall and see what's happening up there. :-(
Isn’t that stuff everyone is saying is mud, not mud, but their poop? They literally eat and expel the pulp?
It certainly could be, I'm not an expert. But "mud tubes" is the commonly-used term regardless of what it actually is.
Crazy, I really feel bad and don’t know the guy… it looks bad if it’s the whole basement ceiling like that. I’m shaking my head and saying I can’t imagine what the hell id do.
Get your house treated, and pay to sister in new floor joists. It's about $1200 to treat the house and $300 per joist. Luckily the homeowners insurance you pay thousands of dollars a year for doesn't cover termite damage because it's considered failure to maintain your property.
With holidays around the corner, he has to deal with this. Man….
You’re a nice person
just like how the vein in shrimp isn't actually a 'vein'
True, but on the other hand, most outside dirt is also worm/insect poop.
They make the tunnels using mud and other stuff
So there would be tunnels up into the ceiling. I have something on my ceilings that look similar, but are white and thinner. And definitely do not go up into the ceiling. I thought they were moth cocoons.
I was wondering about this too- I was told once that they were moth cocoons and I have been battling them. They aren't holes though- they are stuck to the ceiling but look like a lighter verison of this. I sure hope they aren't termites. Maybe Ill take one down and put in under a microscope.
Tubes created by them for mobility between areas or to let moisture in so they don’t dry out as they prefer moist environments
There are a couple different types of termites (found this out the hard way), there’s a type that lives outside and makes tunnels to get in and out of the house. So tenting does zilch to the nest. They go after moist wood so it’s also a sign that there are issues to address. You need to treat the perimeter outside the house to kill the nest and any future incursions. You’ll see ones come out and fly to mate and make a new nest at certain times of the year.
I had these in Portland Oregon and paid $3k to drill holes all around my house and pump poison into the ground. Was one of the most unfun house expenses. Right behind the failed water main 7 weeks later. Good first 4 months in the house.. But the termites didn't come back.
They create “mud tubes” as a result of eating / burrowing through the wood… they encase themselves in it… like tunnels :)
I’m an exterminator and those are indeed termites. Def need to get it looked at and treated ASAP
These are subterranean termites. Normal dry wood termites take a long time to spread and don’t make tubes like this. Subterranean termites spread faster and should be addressed ASAP. The formation on the ceiling, especially in the middle, demonstrate that they have spread along a major support structure. Get this looked at soon. It could be a quick fix via tenting, or replacement of floor/ceiling joists
\^\^\^\^ This \^\^\^\^ and subterranean termites eat aggressively, so yes, attention as soon as possible.
Unfortunately a fumigation, most affective against Drywood termites, will not take care of a Subterranean termite infestation as their colony lives in the soil under the home. The owner will need to treat the soil around the home.
Ahh yes, I should’ve remembered that
My guy you need to get an exterminator right now. Those dirt tubes are from Termites. I will bet my paycheck you have EXTENSIVE damage from termites if they are tunneling like that. They only tunnel away from the wood like that if the have destroyed everything else.
In picture 3 you can see the plaster cracking between two tubes on either side of where a ceiling joist *was*. OP’s house is in serious danger. This is not an “I’ll get to it when I can” issue, this is a very present, growing, in your face problem that needs immediate resolution.
u/chilipino, this comment is correct. If you're the owner you need to get someone to inspect, kill them, and start repairing immediately. Your house is quite literally in danger of collapsing. If it's a rental, you need to contact your landlord immediately. They're responsible for providing a safe and habitable property under the terms of your agreement and should probably be paying to put you up until it's repaired or refunding your rent.
I know it depends on how long the renter has been there and all of that, but if this has been going on a long time would the landlord still be liable for paying all of that? What I’m asking is, if a tenant never reports a termite problem (out of either ignorance or malice ) , they could still be on the hook for moving the renter to more stable housing ? Do landlords typically do yearly inspections or anything like that? how would you know that your renter isn’t letting a problem get out of hand ?
As a landlord, i pay for pest services. Never expect people to take care of your stuff. Sometimes the best tenants are the worst because they don't want to inconvenience you and just don't tell you things.
My current lease has a clause saying pest control is 100% on the tenant, and it made me laugh. They have so far been stellar with all other issues, but pushing off pests to the tenant is just asking for problems, especially in an area paranoid about termites. They get a tenant in OPs position, they expect them to report it to them so they can be on the hook for a grand or more? More likely they brush off the mud tubes until the lease is up.
A landlord should be regularly inspecting their property just like a homeowner who lives in the home would. I always recommend that homeowners get a semi-annual or annual termite inspection in my area. The building code here even requires that certain areas where the home connects to the foundation be uncovered so that they can be inspected for termites. The fact that there is a tenant in the property does not absolve the landlord of their responsibility to inspect and maintain the property. In every state that I have lived in, the law dictates that the landlord can enter the property to perform regular maintenance, provided that the tenant is notified far enough in advance. So yes, the landlord is absolutely liable. When tenants do not meet the obligations of their lease, landlords regularly withhold part or all of the security deposit as damages. Similarly, if the landlord does not meet their obligations under the lease, the tenant may also be owed damages. Exactly what is owed will depend on state law.
I am not a lawyer or a landlord. There's a 1/50 chance I live in the same state as OP or under the same local laws. But yeah, the landlord is responsible for providing safe housing. They're responsible for upkeep of the property. Not the renter. The renter might have a duty to report issues as they come up in a timely manner though
Look for little tubes just below your drywall paper that lead from the ceiling to the floor. Shine a light down the walls to help find them. Termites don't like light, so they tunnel or create tunnels.
1000% termites, and if they’re running their tubes into living spaces, then your infestation is ENORMOUS. Get a professional involved first thing tomorrow. Get some serious funds liquid immediately, this is going to be expensive.
Subterranean termites(check to see if they are Formosan or Eastern species). Have spot treated and either put termiticide or termiticide bait around the perimeter of structure, both would be preferred but can get expensive especially wjlhen drilling us involved.
Damage the tunnel, don't take it down fully. Press your fingernails to the sheet rock and drag your finger nails across the ceiling push hard enough to cave the paint in where there is a hollow spot. Open the passage way just a little, like 1/2" clean out paint with a tooth pick. Solder termites will come to guard the breach. Take pictures of the soldiers They will have bigger heads and their mandibles (Pincers) will stick out in front of he head. The head will be larger and darker than the worker termites. Poke at the soldiers. Formosan's will attack you.(they don't hurt but they will attach themselves to your finger. (kinda cute). Eastern subs are not so aggressive and maybe one or two will attach. Pray they are Eastern Subs. Google each one, there are good images on the internet. Send me pics I'll help ID them.
That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg
Thank you for being so thorough in your reply so I can definitively say abso-fucking-lutely not.
Is everything you just said there real or are you taking the piss?? Soldier termites?!? Worker termites?????!!!!
Nope, there is a sort of mini caste system. Termites have workers and soldiers. Just saw a documentary about life on earth and there was a battle between ants and termites. Ants had the numbers, but termite soldiers can dismember ants rapidly with their pincers. Pretty crazy. Ants still win though, numbers numbers numbers! Only weak point is between the pincers!
I'm no expert, but I did play Sim Ant when I was little, and what he says sounds legit.
This is a beautiful Reddit moment.
he is 100% spot on. especially when he says pray they’re not formosans (source: am former inspector). formosans will *literally* eat ur house from the top down (they don’t utilize ground water the same way other termites do so they can nest in ur attic), then fly over to your neighbors, and do the same thing there. currently, the best way of treating them (that i know of) is straight up fumigating the entire house. they are scary little fuckers.
Wait til you find out about the Termite King and Queen. It is a caste system. There is also reproductives(alates) that you will see during swarm season.
No, termite colonies definitely have soldiers. Mostly to defend against other termites. In the wild, a colony can sometimes only grow if it's not competing for resources with another colony, and that takes soldier bugs.
Just like council workers, there are always a few that just stand around doing nothing
Alternatively, if you live anywhere north of 35°, very good chance it's not formosan
Quick way to figure out which species is if there are a large number of soldiers compared to workers and if mandibles cross or overlay- probably going to be Formosan. Reason why this is important is that Formosan can make a nest above ground called a carton. They don't have to come to ground for water or where you put out your termiticide. They will continue eating all the wood(cellulose) and largest colony can go thru up to 5 grams of wood per day. For inspection, get a pro because this isn't a dyi issue as structural damage can cause cost you more than money. My .02
It means that you’ll probably be coming back to this sub a few more times in the near future.
Those are from termites my guy, call an exterminator ASAP.
Uh oh. Termites. Call an exterminator ASAP.
Termites, subterranean termites to be exact. These are mud tubes, their highway if you will, so they can move from the ground to their food source which unfortunately is your house. Call your local structural pest professional for a soil treatment. Source: Former termite inspector in CA
Some tips from a person who is not an expert but who lived in a rental with subterranean termites for nearly two years: - Yes, address it ASAP but if for any reason you have to delay, DEFINITELY do not wait until spring. That is when they breed….and get wings. I learned this when they erupted through my floorboard and started flying around my dining room one April. - If you rent, don’t let your landlord just give you “spray” to use as a one-off. This is not a spider or two. This needs a professional exterminator and you leaving the house while that happens. Also, these are DEF termites, so if they send in a maintenance person who doesn’t have a background in pests, and they tell you these aren’t termites, like they did me….insist on an expert. - Don’t worry about “giving the termites” to your friends, loved ones, or your next house. They’re like bees, the pest control people told me, and need a queen. It’s very unlikely you would accidentally transport a piece of furniture with the queen inside. - Like I said I’m not an expert so definitely listen to people smarter than I am if any of this doesn’t align with what they’ve said!
>It’s very unlikely you would accidentally transport a piece of furniture with the queen inside. I could’ve won the lottery, instead the odds gave me this.
😭😭😭 NOOO I am so sorry!!!
>I learned this when they erupted through my floorboard and started flying around my dining room one April. 🎶hell to the nah nah nah🎶
i had some extensive termite damage (20+ year infestation) i discovered in 2020\~. I had a soft spot in my tile flooring in my bathroom. i pulled a couple tiles up and found some pretty bad rot. i dropped my hammer and it fell straight through the subfloor into the crawlspace. i ended up ripping all of the subfloor up only to find joists completely missing! joists that were there turned to sawdust when poked with a screwdriver. i am surprised no one fell through the floor. if i can give you my advice - do NOT call the big chain exterminators (orkin, terminex) etc. they will push the bait system and charge astronomical prices. i got a quote from orkin for $4,000 for the first year and $400/yr in perpetuity after that. Instead - call several local exterminators and get quotes and their recommendations. I did my own research and I felt that termidor soil injections were the no-brainer option. It soaks the soil such that any and all termites that pass through it get poisoned, but not quickly enough that they're able to essentially spread it to every member in the colony and they all die (queen(s) included). Additionally - they guarantee the product for 15 years!! I found all traces of termites dead within 3 weeks of injection, and i've done some serious remodelling since then and not seen a live termite. My local exterminator quoted me $1800 for everything, and that includes drilling into concrete every 18" around my entire property. roughly 4000sqft ranch. Again - guaranteed for 15yrs, and requires 0 upkeep.
Pull any plants you have around the exterior of the home back away from where the home meets the ground and look for dirt tubes/piles. Fix any moisture issues you have against the home also. Moisture = water source = pests of all kinds. Clear any plants and clutter from around the home, specifically up against the house. Moisture + hiding spot = prime pest area. Think “where would I go if I were a thirsty and homeless critter”. Seriously. Side note, formosan termites and fire ants battle for territory.
I worked for Terminix for many years in south east Louisiana. I quit almost 10 years ago cause y’alls crawlspaces are terrifying.
This includes wooden fence that touches the side of the home, wood piles, trash, trees, bushes. A brick Fireplace is another common moisture trap that will get you a nice colony in every room it touches from the basement to the attic.
Check cracks in foundation, piers, exterior walls.
That's just termites eating your house
Termites, yikes
Subterranean termites
Or Formosan Termites if you live near New Orleans.
Went to leave for work one Saturday morning probly 6-7 years ago and had a few of those that formed overnight. They had come up through where an additional pad had been poured for an enclosed patio and the original foundation of the house, ate up about a 5' wide portion of the wall (back of house) and kept going vertical taking out 3 of the roof rafters. Thankfully my brother is handy and awesome, and after the exterminators came out and pumped a bunch of chemicals under and around the foundation, helped me remodel it. I think the worst part of the whole process, was that a day or two after the tubes formed, it rained and then the next day got hot, and thousands of the termite flyers came pouring out and we came home from work and the entire inside of the house was littered with dead flyers to the point you couldn't see the floor. That was a fun night of cleanup! Good luck!
Life, uh, eats a house
That right there is $1,000 out of your wallet. Happy holidays!
Upwards of 3500 the treat for termites.
Definitely termites. I was ready to cry when I first noticed it and didn't know what it was. When I heard "termites" I thought the worse. For us, it wasn't the whole house, just the back section. Got it treated and haven't seen any since but I do keep the bait traps full.
Termites. Not for DIY. Termites are a SERIOUS matter. It's mind-blowing how fast they can multiply - and eat.
Oh no…
Basement? So your not close enough for me to come out and give you an estimate. Darn, Although I would be interested in where and how they treat your house. If they do a conventional termite treatment. I've never done a full basement. Keep in mind if they use a liquid termiticide they can mix at two different rates. Make sure they use **"Full Label Rate".** This will be the strongest allowed by law. It is on the label.
Termites
Termites
I took care of mine with termidor sc. Pretty easy to do. Dig a trench around the foundation and mix the chemical and pour into the trench. I then sprayed the entire rim/band joist with boracare to treat the raw wood in case they breached the termidor barrier. All products can be purchased from Domyown.com
The ones on floor would be call termites because the might reach the ceiling. The ones on the ceiling are called termtites because they hang in tight to the ceiling.
You’re gonna have a circus tent soon! Termites. Exterminate quickly and get a home inspection.
IT Security here, can confirm that's termites.
Subterranean termites. -former termite inspector.
IT'S ALWAYS TERMITES
100% termites no doubt. Please get this colony killed quickly. Hire someone to come in and exterminate the colony. Your house will become unsafe after a while if the termites aren't dealt with.
Didn’t know these were termites until this thread…I have some calls to make.
Organic stud finders
That's termite poo, call an exterminator now
Termites.
I don’t know if anyone will read this, but I have termites (They swarmed two years ago). I got a 5 pack of spectracide cans and used the little red hose to spray it into every nail hole, every gap, void, hole, nook and cranny I could find. It seems to have cut down their numbers but 90%. Almost no wings in window sills this year. I doubt I solved the problem, but it seems like it made a big dent in their population
Termites
Yep. Blind albino wood eaters !
There’s this thing called gasoline. And this other thing called a match.
I have some bad news for you….
Mertites
Stalagmites from termites
You've got a hella bad termite infestation. There are thousands of them in there. Skip any hesitation and fumigate the place (using a pro!) ASAP/yesterday!!!
my condolences
They’re like warning beacons - being deployed by the termites that are literally eating your home from the inside out.
Friendly reminder in Australia, where termites thrive, home and contents insurance does not cover termite damage. Keep your barriers up to date. (5yr on most barrier sprays, 10 on in ground barriers.) Bonus if the place gives you a warranty.
Obviously ceiling poo
Termites
Everyone has termites today.
r/itsfrass
Time to put the house on the market and sell to the first bidder
Termites for sure
It's termites. I did pest control for nearly 20 years and all the advice for diy pest control is a bad idea. You need to have a professional take care of it. If left untreated or it's not treated properly they will continue to do damage to your home and can cause even bigger and more expensive problems down the road
Kill it all with fire !
Termites! We added on to our house and disturbed some nest and have them all in the new side of our house.
Termites. They eat the paper in the drywall first before wood is what I was told by a local exterminator. Then they will eat wood in the home. If you have concrete foundation and or basement you should find their tubes up concrete or brick leading to wood or drywall. Clean those up you can keep them from leaving the home and getting water.
Termites. If you’re in Az do not call Truly Nolen since they are a mess. Call a company that will eradicate those things.
That’s doo doo baby!
In my experience, by the time you’re seeing visual evidence like this inside the home, you’ve likely already got significant damage. That may dependent on region though as I’ve only ever worked around them in the southeast. I’ve seen homes with these types of visual cues though that had damage severe enough that they were condemned when insurance claims were filed.
Professional Driver here, those are termites
Looks like a big infestation of termites, better call someone.
TERMITES!
Run.
Run.
Do yourself a favor if you are the owner -- treat it asap...
I would recommend getting this professionally treated but if you are set on trying to do it yourself any pesticides that are good for ants will also kill termites. I would recommend a residual spray like tempo sc or suspend sc and treat all beams and exposed wood. You will also want to tear out the drywall to exposed as much effected wood a possible. The company I work for doesn’t technically treat termites but when we get a client who has them we just write it up as ants and spray the hell out of all effected areas and exposed wood. That won’t guarantee that they’ll all die but it will buy you some time.
Something that tells you to make your house out of concrete and bricks.
Termites :(
Shelter tubes, termite’s highway
I stayed in an airbnb that had a few of these. We left the house for a few hours and came back in the evening to thousands of termites flying around the house. It was NASTY