Termite Dampwood Termites

Color: Winged reproductives are dark brown with brown wings. Soldiers have a flattened brown or yellowish brown head with elongated black or dark brown mandibles. Nymphs are cream-colored with a characteristic spotted abdominal pattern caused by food in their intestines.

Size: Dampwood termite nymphs are up to 3/4 in (20mm) long, swarmers up to 1 in (25mm) long.

In nature, they are commonly found in tree stumps and fallen tree branches. It attacks only moist wood. This termite is of horticultural importance because it frequently attacks the underground parts of shrubs and young trees.

In your home the most likely areas to find them would be an older wood deck, leaky roof eaves, leaky showers or tubs, or substructures with inadequate ventilation or plumbing leaks. It is also found in fence posts, baseboards and door frames of buildings.

They don't require contact with the soil in order to obtain moisture, but wood with a high degree of moisture is needed. They are usually associated with wood decay. They do not usually burrow in soil Because of their high moisture requirements, they most often are found in cool, humid areas along the coast.

They can swarm periodically throughout the year and it is common to see the swarming reproductives caught in spider webs next to exterior lights since they are instinctively attracted to light.

Dampwood termites normally eat the wood from the inside out as they tunnel their way through the wood. These tunnel areas are smooth as if sandpaper was used to sand the surface.

Dampwood termites eat across the grain of wood, through both spring and summer wood, making chambers and galleries, and the tunnels which connect them. The walls are smooth and the galleries free of soil, except that in moist conditions droppings may stick to the gallery walls. In dry conditions the droppings accumulate at the bottom or are expelled. Pellets are used to seal off galleries.

Chemical treatment may be not necessary for the control of dampwood termites. Since the dampwood termite requires wood with high moisture content, correction of the moisture source is necessary. This normally means replacing the existing infested and saturated wood in conjunction with elimination of the moisture source.

Common correction methods:

• Proper Cleanliness of the premise.
• Remove all old wooden debris, clothes, etc
• Keep all wood away from soil's contact.
• Make sure you have proper drainage.
• Increase the ventilation in the affected area, reducing the moisture and repair leaky showers and plumbing.
• Construction needs to be designed to avoid contact of wood and soil.
• Get your premise an anti-termite treatment pre/post construction.

If the damp wood is not accessible to be removed, treatment of the soil with an effective insecticide or termite baiting systems would be necessary.