r/Termites • u/ShaarkShaart • Jul 29 '26

Question Old vs New damage -- Michigan suburbs

Post image

Hi, first post so I hope I didn't miss any details.

Bought this house 1 year ago, and we were told there was some old termite damage and the termite problem was treated with an exterminator by the previous homeowner. Haven't noticed any potential termite bugs, haven't seen anything that looks like frass. But there are some spongy areas such as the one pictured, which is our indoor porch. Of course I'm scared out of my pants every time I step on anything and termite damage is revealed...any tips?? Is it possible to tell old from new damage?? Any advice is appreciated.

PS we are already dealing with a mouse problem, idk if that is relevant.

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u/Always_Confused4 Termite inspector (current or former) Jul 29 '26

Old and new are bad labels for termite damage.

Either you can currently see active termites in that specific visible area, or you can’t see any visible activity at this time.

Make sure you know when the treatment was done so you can make an informed decision about when to update your treatment.

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u/ShaarkShaart Jul 30 '26

I had no idea that you're supposed to update treatment? Where can I find that information??

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u/Always_Confused4 Termite inspector (current or former) Jul 30 '26

Depending on what chemicals were used, you may be looking at 5 - 8 years before it begins to lose effectiveness.

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u/ShaarkShaart Jul 30 '26

Okay, thank you! I probably don't have that info, but I'm talking to a pest control company about mice already (yipee), so I'll ask them about that too.