Dampwood termite fix: solve moisture problem

Q: I have dampwood termites in a house four blocks from the ocean. I was told by a pest control company that dampwood termites, unlike subterranean termites, have their entire colony inside the wood in the walls and spraying inside the walls of the house is ineffective. I was told the only thing I could do was to somehow “dry out” the walls, which is difficult or nearly impossible in the area we are in (90 percent humidity). Any dampwood termite control/ eradication suggestions? I didn’t see any info on dampwood termites on your website.

C.G., San Francisco A: The company is absolutely right. You can’t treat the soil as you would for subterranean termites as dampwoods don’t have to go to the soil. There is certainly no reason to fumigate as the dampwoods could come back almost immediately if the wet wood is still there. The only thing you can really do is solve the moisture problem. If that isn’t feasible, maybe you can replace the infested wood and then treat all exposed wood with a sodium borate to prevent future problems. BoraCare is a good product and is available online at www.pestcontrolsupplies.com. Fumigation should never be used for any pests. If you should develop drywood termites, go with XT2000 orange oil.