worried about termites

[jlwslw]

This may be a stupid question. But here goes. Can termites get in the boat while Im rebuilding it. Im working outside. I keep the boat covered. I found a couple of the winged ones inside this morning and killed them. How do they get in and how to stop them. Can they eat through fiberglass? Or find a pinhole in the unfinished work? Just some concerns. Thanks for any help.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: worried about termites

when they are swarming with wings, they are like flys. yes they can eat a boat. i've seen where they have tunneled into sheet rock to get around something. i don't believe they tollerate fiberglass.

 

[jlwslw]

Re: worried about termites

Im worried because some wood has been left exposed for a while between steps. Ive been so busy at work. The next two stringers will be completely pre wrapped and then installed and tabbed. I worry that termites could have gotten in while it was exposed. Id hate to finish a project (eventually) and it be doomed from the start. Can termites live in resin/glass encapsulated wood without a way out? I worry too much probably. I hate not knowing. Thanks

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: worried about termites

The ones that get in through tubes from the ground are worker females. They are sterile. And the flying ones have not yet mated so they can not start colonies. If you encapsulate a few of them in, they will eventually die. They can't do enough damage to weaken your structural members.
At any rate, even if a queen did get in to start a colony, termites need the cool moisture of the ground to survive. Nests are always built in the ground and the insects migrate to find edible wood. Even if your stringers were wet wood, they would still die in the summer heat. Unless of course, you are storing the boat in a nice shady, cool place. A little RAID or equivalent will do wonders for your peace of mind.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: worried about termites

they have to have a water source. but in houses once they reach the roof, where there is condensation, from day to night, this is enough water for them to thrive, and they don't have to go back to the ground for water. thats why they eat so many houses undetected.

 

[jlwslw]

Re: worried about termites

Thanks guys. That is what I was hoping to hear. Maybe now I can relax. I did some reading on termites last night and felt better. Thanks for the peace of mind.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: worried about termites

Termites will not survive in your boat. They must have a path back to the colony (mud trails). Now carpenter ants can survive, it there is enough wood to eat. Dittp wasps ants and other undesirable insects.

 

[jdooner]

Re: worried about termites

Imagine my surprise when my foot went thru the floor board awhile back. No moisture but it was full of termites. The wood would crumble in my hand. No much left of the stringers, either. Soooo..they can get in there. At least they made the removal easy, wish they'd eaten the transom too, it's going to be a job getting it out.
jd

 

[SuperNova]

Re: worried about termites

I stored my boat one year at a friend's house and it came back with a carpenter ant infestation. I didn't know what to do about it. The I found a couple of spiders in my garage. The kind with oversized bodies for their spindly little legs that spin the really random kind of webs with egg sacs all over them. Two of those went on the boat and 2 weeks later- no more ants. Then me being the cruel manipulative bastard I am, I sprayed the spiders with killer chemical and I was completely pest-free. Had to rebuild 1 seat-back from the ant damage though.
--
Stan