Tips for Identifying Termite Mud Tubes in Kentucky
Transcript from “How To Identify Termite Mud Tubes”
with Pest Expert Matthew S. Hess
When you know how to recognize termite infestations by identifying mud tubes and other signs, you’re one step closer to a termite-free home. But don’t get too excited; you should still trust a reputable pest company like Four Seasons Pest Solutions to provide complete termite control.
Let’s explore termite mud tubes as we address the following:
- What’s the Purpose of Termite Mud Tubes?
- How Do I Identify Termite Mud Tubes.
- Staining and Other Damage from Mud Tubes.
- Termite Control and Prevention Measures.
What’s the Purpose of Termite Mud Tubes?
Subterranean termites require a certain level of moisture within their colony to prevent desiccation. If termites find themselves outside the colony and exposed to the air and other elements, they will quicky die. Mud tubes serve as an extension of the colony and the more humid air that is maintained in the colony is distributed through the network of mud tunnels, which we often call mud tubes. These mud tubes allow the termites to work above ground in search for food. Unfortunately, that means our homes and other structures can be easily attacked and destroyed by termite colonies if preventative control measures are not in place.
There are four main types of mud tubes, each with its own purpose. However, all four types are indicative of a termite infestation and should be treated when discovered.
Exploration Tubes
Mud tubes used for exploration purposes are fragile, thin, and usually visible on floor joists, walls, foundations, and similar areas. Tubes meant for exploration will usually be dry, brittle, and abandoned by the time they are found. These tubes will always extend up from the soil or from the colony’s location and rarely extend over 15 feet upward.
Exploration mud tubes are used by worker termites to search for new potential food sources. Learning how to identify termite mud tubes like these will help you combat potential termite infestations.
Exploration mud tubes can be found on walls, floor joists, foundations, and other similar areas.
Worker Tubes
As the name suggests, these tubes are used by the termite workers as they gather food for the colony. Of all the termite tubes you might find present in a structure, these will be the most common. Throughout the day, worker termites will travel back and forth from the colony gathering food and extending these tubes. These tubes are usually connected to a food source and will often disappear into wood products as the termites travel inside the wood galleries that they have constructed by removing the cellulose for food.
Worker mud tubes are used by worker termites to gather food (aka – eat your home) and travel back to the colony with the fresh supply.
Worker mud tubes can be found in about any area. These will usually appear on the surface of structural materials like wood and drywall and seem without visibly connecting to the ground.
Drop tubes
These tubes serve to make a direct and quick connection from the colony (or the ground) to food sources like floor joists and other wood suspended above open ground.
Termite drop tubes can be found in basements and crawls especially. These will extend from wood members where termites are actively working, back to the soil (or the colony).
Drop tubes can be thin like a pencil or may be much thicker when activity is extreme.
Termites are able to quickly move from food sources to the colony without taking the longer, original route with the help of drop tubes. Essentially, they are shortcuts.
Swarm Tubes
These are often referred to as “swarm castles” and are constructed by worker termites. Swarm tubes allow the inhabitants, which are king and queen termite alates, to emerge, reproduce, and start new colonies. When these are present inside, it usually means the colony has been present for several years or is otherwise well-established.
Termite swarm tubes (aka, castle tubes) come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These are used by termite swarmers (alate reproductive kings and queens) as they emerge from the colony to fly to a new destination and begin a new colony.
How Do I Identify Termite Mud Tubes?
Mud tubes can be found in a variety of colors depending on the soil and the cellulose material used to construct them. Additionally, active tubes will be kept moist and maintain darker colors whereas inactive ones will be dry and lighter in color.
The standard size of a mud tube is about a quarter of an inch or the width of a pencil. However, swarm tubes can be much larger, up to an inch or more in diameter. Standard mud tubes used for workers will spread out and fork in differing directions, like the branches of a tree, for instance. These can be found on foundations, walls, ceilings, floor joists, stored cellulose materials, and other similar areas.
Any termite mud tube should be considered cause for alarm. These are direct pathways for worker termites to destroy your home and cost potentially thousands of dollars. If you find termite mud tubes of any kind, contact Four Seasons Pest Solutions right away and schedule a termite inspection and treatment analysis.
Dark mud tubes can be a sign that the termites are still actively using the tube.
Termite mud tubes will often fork like the branches of a tree as the termites forage for food.
Inactive termite mud tubes will be dry, brittle, and light colored like dry dirt.
Staining and Damage from Mud Tubes
Staining occurs when mud tubes are constructed along homes and are later removed or break apart due to inactivity. These stains can be indicative of termite infestations either present or past. If your home has termite mud tube stains and no record exists of treatment against termites, a treatment should be considered. Although termites won’t do much damage in a short amount of time, as the colony grows and the years pass by, thousands of dollars in damages will quickly mount up and leave you with a much larger bill than a preventative treatment would have been.
As we previously noted, active mud tubes are kept moist by worker termites to prevent desiccation. When tubes are kept moist, damage to wood members occurs and furthers the deterioration process which allows termites to feed from the wood. Imagine hundreds and thousands of termites working in your home and, little by little, removing bits of wood 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is well-documented that larger termite infestations can cause audible noises within the walls of homes during the night as thousands of workers eat away at your home. When on a recent call for termite control in London KY, the homeowner stated that she could hear the termites chewing inside her walls at night.
When termite mud tubes are removed or fall away naturally, they can leave behind stains from the dirt they were constructed with.
Termite mud tube stains are sometimes a sign that treatment has been previously performed and all tubes were removed. However, if no contract exists to validate this, a new treatment should be considered to ensure no unseen activity is present.
Termite Control and Prevention Measures
Termites can be active for years and show no visible signs of their presence. Of course, that doesn’t mean every infestation will go unnoticed, but because the potential is there, prevention is always in your best interests. Although DIY prevention measures won’t guarantee no termites will invade your home, they certainly help reduce the chances.
A Few Key Tips You Can Implement Are:
- Maintain trees, shrubs, and other vegetation around your home. Make sure that trees do not touch or overhang your home. Keep a few feet of clear distance between them if possible. Additionally, it is crucial to remove dead plants, limbs, and other debris from around your home. These items can attract termites, which may cause damage to your home.
- Eliminate ALL wood-to-ground contact within your home. This includes wooden piers, floor joists, posts, runners, braces, and any other wood products. If wood in your home touches soil outside your home, a direct pathway is forged for termites.
- It’s important to inspect outdoor wooden structures that are nearby for any signs of damage. This includes sheds, fence posts, barns, or any other wood products and structures that may be present. If any structure within 100 feet of your home is found to be infested with termites, it’s crucial to treat your home to prevent potential damages. Moreover, the infested wooden structure should be evaluated for the necessary treatment.
- Seal gaps and cracks in your home with proper sealant material. HVAC lines, plumbing penetrations, cracks in foundation walls, damaged wood siding, and other similar cracks and gaps can allow termites easy access to your home. Termites only require less than a 1/16 inch gap or crack for access.
- Appoint a trusted pest control company to oversee your termite prevention. This could include simple annual inspection, liquid termite treatment or better yet, Sentricon Colony Eliminating Bait System. With Four Seasons Pest Solutions on your side, we can install the Sentricon Always Active baiting system around your home for optimal control and prevention. It’s like having a pest control company at your home fighting termites 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! And with that level of control, you can rest easy knowing your home is well protected!
