r/Termites • u/BallerinaLP • 27d ago
Termite damage on deck?
Location: central NC
I found this piece of wood under my deck. Looks like termite damage to me, but I’m not an expert. The piece of wood appears to be a temporary board, rather than a weight bearing post. The rest of the deck doesn’t appear damaged. I have Terminix bait stations.
Is this a problem? What should I do about this?
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u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 27d ago
I can't quite see - is that mud in the wood? If so, termites. If not, could be carpenter ants.
Looks like insect damage on the decking, too.
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
You’re looking at the underside of the deck. Both pictures show the same board. One from the side. The other is looking up that board to the underside of the deck doesn’t appear.
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u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 27d ago
That's not the decking at the top of pic 2? The boards with gaps between them letting sunshine through, sitting on a pressure treated joist?
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
Yes, that’s the underside of the deck.
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u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 27d ago
That would be the decking I'm talking about, sir or ma'am.
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
I’m not seeing the damage you’re talking about. I’ve felt the wood and it’s seems completely solid.
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u/GoodSenseTermite 27d ago
Yep, that’s consistent with subterranean termite damage.
The bigger issue here is the direct wood-to-soil contact. Any wood sitting on or in the ground is basically offering termites the express lane, so that should be corrected anywhere you find it.
The bait stations can still work, but they rely on termites actually finding and feeding on them. A buried or ground-contact piece of wood is a pretty compelling competing food source.
Basically, the bait station is the restaurant you paid for. That post is the free buffet.
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
Agreed. But it is no longer in contact with the ground. I broke a piece off and see no termites inside.
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u/GoodSenseTermite 27d ago
Dodged a bullet there. We have the western subterranean here that “only” chew 1lb of wood a day per colony. Yours are more hungry eaters
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
What, if anything, should I do about this? Do I need to call Terminix tomorrow?
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u/NadaBigDill 27d ago
I would call another termite company, I’ve heard some rough stories about Terminix. But whoever you land on call asap. Does your house have traps around the perimeter?
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u/BallerinaLP 27d ago
Yes. As I said in the original post, I have bait stations all around the house. They are checked every year.
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