A Brief Guide to Termite Mud Tubes

Termites are often called silent destroyers because they literally eat away at your home, often going undetected until there is major damage. From wood finishes and decking on the outside to the walls inside, a colony of termites will eat their way through your home at a rate of 12.9 pounds per year. Catching them before they’ve completely destroyed your home is key to getting rid of them.
What are termite mud tubes?

One of the best ways to identify if your home has termites is to check for termite mud tubes around the home. Termites don’t survive long in sunlight so they move through pencil thin mud tubes. They’re traveling from their nest located in a moist area to their food source — wood.

How are termite  mud tubes made?

Termites are fairly anti-social, preferring to travel with other termites in mud tubes and away from other insects and the elements. Often irregular in shape, the mud tubes are made of dirt, wood particles, and their own saliva and feces. It goes without saying that you should not touch the tubes with your bare hands.

Where can they be found?

Termite mud tubes are visible on the outside or inside of your home. Most often you will see them around the bottom of the outside of your home. In addition to gaining entry, termites use tubes to travel within pieces of wood, eating it from the inside out.

We’ve had examples of people touching a piece of wood and having it fall apart in their hands. They’ve already eaten through the wood. What’s important is to find out the extent of the damage and call Budget Brothers Termite & Pest Elimination to get rid of the infestation.

What does it mean if you see termite mud tubes around your home?

If you see a termite mud tube outside your home, remove a piece from the middle using a stick or gloved hand. If the termites are active, they will reseal the mud tube so they can get back into your home. We’ve seen tubes resealed in just a couple of days. If the tube isn’t resealed it could mean the colony has moved on to another food source but that doesn’t mean they’ve moved from your home.

The good news is that once these silent destroyers are detected, they can be eliminated.