Termites or ???????????

[EddieWalker]

The dirt is the dead giveaway that it IS termites. Here in Texas, they are a great source of income for me repairing what they have done. The first sine that there is a problem is finding the dirt. They eat the wood, and bring it down to the queen and the colony. Then they bring dirt with them back to where they have found a good source of wood.

This is classic termite damage.

Treatment requires killing the queen, which is anywhere from a foot, to several feed down in the ground. She is always down in the ground. Nothing else matters, you have to kill the queen.

best thing to do about the termites is to get on a schedule to have your house and buildings treated every spring because that's when the flyers go out and search for untreated dirt to start a new colony. They look like flying ants, and they are very common in the spring. EVERY YEAR!!!!!

As for the comments that it's wood rot. Look at the dirt in the wood. That does not happen when it's rot from water. Dirt means termites.

 

[Bigfoot62]

^ Eddie is right. Dirt doesn't run uphill.
Dirt tunnels=termites.

 

[s219]

Agree, looks like termites due to the dirt. However, the reason they are there may be because there was wood rot due to moisture. That is a very common place for wood rot to happen -- water gets in there between the jamb and the sill, wicks into the wood, and bingo. Termites will be attracted to wet/rotted wood even more than dry wood, so I'd probably consider the moisture problem to be the root cause. Consider sawing out and replacing the damaged wood with PVC lumber and caulk it in good, and of course treat for termites.

 

[Thall303]

With the damage shown in the photo, the termites are probably farther up the wall doing damage that you have not seen yet!

 

[EddieWalker]

Agree, looks like termites due to the dirt. However, the reason they are there may be because there was wood rot due to moisture. That is a very common place for wood rot to happen -- water gets in there between the jamb and the sill, wicks into the wood, and bingo. Termites will be attracted to wet/rotted wood even more than dry wood, so I'd probably consider the moisture problem to be the root cause. Consider sawing out and replacing the damaged wood with PVC lumber and caulk it in good, and of course treat for termites.

Exactly right. Doors need porches to protect them. If you do not have a porch, this is what happens. Same thing around garage doors.

Termites have a natural habit of remaining just under the paint, or wallpaper or whatever the finish is. If they break through the surface, like they did here, you should assume that there is going to be significant damage elsewhere. Just like the roots of a tree. How many years does the tree grow until it's roots break the surface?

The entire perimeter of the building needs to be treated. If there is concrete anywhere around the outside of the building, it needs to be drilled.

There are two facts here that we know for sure. There IS a termite infestation. It is WORSE then what you see in the pictures.

 

[roadhunter]

Wow. XFax, looks like it's' time to kill those SOB's.

Eddie,
Great explanation. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jfh28]

subterranean termites live in the ground and travel to feed on wood.......they need moisture to survive as their bodies will dry out....hence the mud tunnels to travel in.......also why they are attracted to moist rotting wood.........in general they won't go much higher then six feet above ground as the distance starts to get to far away from the moisture.......although I have seen them on second floor bathrooms with leaks around the tub/shower........or if the wood can get wet up higher like leaking flashing at roofs..........generally the first really warm day of the spring you will get the flying termites that swarm.......if you see this it's a sign that the nest underground is mature and the swarming termites are being sent out to establish a new satellite nest.......this is usually a sign that the original nest is at least five years old and so they have been feeding on your building that long........if you don't treat the termite infestation you are only wasting your time doing the repairs as they will be back......treatment is usually accomplished by putting down a perimeter barrier around the entire building by trenching about a foot down along the foundation and flooding the trench with a chemical........any slabs have to be drilled and rodded to get the chemical underneath........the concept is to put a protective barrier around the building as any termites would have to travel through the insecticide to get to the wood and will either die and stave out the nest or bring residual insecticide back to the nest and start killing within the nest.........most high quality insecticides will last 10 years in the ground so you only need to treat once but then inspect each year for any further activity......termites are incredibly smart and will avoid an area that is treated.....that is why spot treatment does not work......they will just go around it........best to do it right the first time and be done with it..........Jack

 

[Xfaxman]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I think it started with wood rot, sometimes after a rain there will be a puddle of water inside against the pole.

The door frame is fastened to the pole.

Was built in October 2011, 5x5 poles and treated 2x6s at the bottom,

 

[MacLawn]

A case of wood lice if I've ever seen one. And I have seen one.

 

[RobertBrown]

That column holds up the whole corner of the structure. Gulp.....
That sucks......you could add a couple of posts on either side to sure it up against the impending failure.