Termites/Ants – Climate change
steve41
| Posted in General Questions on
Should wooden structures being built in areas which do not currently have termite/ant concerns or construction requirements be built with adequate deterrence?
Currently termite/ant problems are south of my location in Maine, so it has not been a concern of mine. However, given the expected climate changes, perhaps it’s not long before we start to see such problems. I’m somewhat inclined to build with anticipation of these changes for longevity of the structure.
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Replies
Steve,
Do you have radon issues in your area? If you plan to seal slab and foundation penetrations and cracks to mitigate radon, that would go a long way keeping insects at bay. Not sure it would be worthwhile to install special membranes, screens, and fine sand on the chance that termites would move into your area in the next 30 years.
FWIW. I live in the land of termites and carpenter ants and few home builders take any special precautions to address these types of insects. Maybe they should, but they don't. Most homeowners reduce their risk by buying termite baits and bonds.
The ants sure have gotten worse in MA in the past 10 years where I live. Ive found a few things to keep them at bay and killed 3 carpenter ant nests. In mid NH last week and saw tons of carpenter ants.
Hard to say. I'd at least seal between the sheathing and foundation. I started doing that in my own house as I do siding and trim.
Thanks for the replies.
Steve - yes, radon is going strong here in Maine. I do plan to seal everything well. I'll likely do some reasonable pest mitigation and then keep an eye on things. Maybe stick some "test" baits in the ground. It's interesting that most builders in your termite laden area don't take precautions. Unfortunate.
Mostly I'm concerned with the exterior of my ICF stem walls. I've seen some pics of ant tunneling into EPS that are concerning.
You might want to read through Carl Seville's building posts to see what steps he took to prevent termites (https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/movin-on-up). Depending on your budget, you might want to incorporate some of those details.
Carpenter arts love EPS. It's great for building nests apparently. But you can buy ICF blocks that include an insecticide.
I am in northern BC and recently was at a house where ants had gotten into the ICF foundation and essentially destroyed it, the owners found out when the basement flooded due to the drain tile being clogged with the chewed up foam.
This is not a common occurrence here but shows that thought should always be given to how pests may impact your building.
Thanks Steve- great info.
Unfortunately, my termite/ant proactivity is a new thing and was not considered prior to starting my project. I have already finished my ICF foundation. If I had it to do over again I would have looked into the pre-treated ICFs. I'm not super concerned in the short term about termites/ants, but I would like to build something that lasts 100+yrs with reasonable maintenance.
I plan to use ~12" of Glavel on the interior, with a concrete-free raised "slab". So no EPS on the interior with the exception of the ICF inside faces.
You may wanna treat around the foundation with Taurus SC. Seems to work well for me and others. Supposed to dig a shallow trench around the foundation and spray in that then on top. Wear a really good mask/respirator spraying it though.
Carpenter ants are most active at night and use overhanging branches as highways. Keep everything trimmed back. If you see any scout ants, deploy bait until they disappear. That's probably about as much as you can do at this point.
Thanks all - I'll definately do a little more homework and incorporate some of these suggestions.