Dampwood Termites

What are Dampwood Termites?

Very large reddish-brown swarming insects and/or ¾-inch long cream-colored workers that favor consuming wet or damp wood framing, beams, flooring and more in homes.

Clues that you might have them:

Very large reddish-brown swarming insects and/or ¾-inch long cream-colored workers that favor consuming wet or damp wood framing, beams, flooring and more in homes.

If you leave them alone…

Dampwood termites and the moisture conditions they thrive in can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage.

What you need to do about them:

Dampwood termites and the moisture conditions they thrive in can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage.

When do I call Leupitz Pest Control?

Call Leupitz Pest Control immediately at (503) 362-8100 to confirm their presence and formulate a plan for eradication before they cause more damage to your home or commercial property. Such corrective measures may include treatment of the affected and adjacent areas with a disodium octoborate tetrahydrate product to arrest the infestation or reduce the risk of their spread.

What can I do?

Prevention & Control

The most common measure of eradication is elimination of the moisture source(s) promoting the development of dampwood termites. Repairing plumbing and roof leaks and replacing wet, damaged wood with new, dry wood will generally spell doom for a dampwood colony. If done properly, such measures may reduce or eliminate the need for remedial treatment.

More Details

The Pacific dampwood termite (Zootermopsis angusticollis) is the largest of all native termites in North America. Workers and soldiers can be up to ¾-inch in size, the reddish-brown reproductives can be up to 1¼ inches in length. The reproductives typically swarm in the late summer-early fall months, oftentimes after the first early fall rains, and generally at night.

Unlike subterranean termites, dampwood termites must have a wet environment to live. Generally they are found nesting above ground in damp or decaying wood. In structures they can infest wood in proximity to roof and plumbing leaks or wood in contact with damp earth. They can also invade sound, dry wood as long as damp wood is adjacent to the infested area (generally within 10-12 feet). Without a high moisture content in their nesting area these species of termites cannot survive. However, with a high wood moisture content dampwood termites can substantially compound the ongoing structural damage occurring from wood destroying fungi or excessive moisture.

A telltale sign of present or past dampwood termite infestation—as opposed to subterranean termite infestation—is the presence of six-sided oval shaped fecal pellets in their excavation galleries.