Actually they can eat anything containing cellulose, and that includes both
live and dead wood, but most species prefer dead wood. I remember having
read about one species who is known for this (Neotermes mona - don't worry,
I had to look the name up).
J
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Fildes" <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:15 PM
Subject: [OM] Re: [OT] Need Help Re Termites
>
> Termites only eat dead wood. They'll eat dead wood out of the heart
> of a tree leaving it as a tube but that doesn't kill the tree and can
> make it stronger - a tube is stronger than a rod. This does not apply
> to a palm but there is a lot of dead material in any palm tree and
> they may be cleaning it up. They are unlikely to kill a living tree
> but as their habits are so variable from species to species, I can't
> be certain about that.
> It is unlikely that their hive/nest is up there - around here they
> usually have a nest in something like an old stump and then invade
> neighboring structures. Not all attack houses by any means. I found
> an infested stump in my garden once and they never bothered the
> house. But they can travel fair distances.
> The way we protect houses around here is to use bait traps. These are
> usually containers or boxes full of suitable feed laced with a
> poison. You sink them into the ground near the access points of a
> house and the critters attack them, carrying back the poisoned
> foodstock to the nest. There should be something like that available
> from a local pest control outlet if you feel the need to be certain
> about the safety of the tree.
> Andrew Fildes
> afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|