Drywood Termites – Vacationing in Pennsylvania

You don’t expect to see a lot of drywood termites in Pennsylvania. We see even less drywood termites on vacation! But that’s just what we witnessed at a home in Harrisburg, PA. Let us explain.

When homeowners called us in to investigate what was happening in their townhouse, we weren’t sure what to expect. We can handle just about any pest out there and, of course, we can properly identify the pest that’s troubling you. So, it wasn’t the species or the solution that surprised us. It was the source…

We saw frass, which isn’t out of the ordinary – especially when it comes to Wood Destroying Insects. Drywood termite frass is the hexagonal pellets that feel rough like sandpaper drywood termites create and leave behind as they grind their way through the wood. But where were they coming from? How did they get in? That’s when the Western Fumigation expertise comes in and our inspector found the issue. A frame holding an interesting painting of a bull. And around the frame… more frass.

The technician asked the homeowner where they got this particular painting and more importantly where it was framed. They said the painting was imported from Italy and it came already framed. The mystery had been solved! These were literally drywood termites from Italy! They were a long way from home, but they travel well since they had all the food they needed in the frame they were living in. And while the solution to where they came from was solved, now the solution to the actual termites was needed.

The drywood termites had not only traveled across an ocean, but they had moved inside the walls by tunneling their way through the drywall. That means they were slowly making their way into the support beams of the house. That’s where they can do some serious damage. And since this was a townhouse attached to two other townhouses, the homeowners weren’t just putting their home in danger. They were putting the two other family’s homes in danger as well.

The team sprang into action. We presented the homeowners with a solution that would help everyone. Fully tarp the entire homes to include all three townhomes and do a full fumigation. Not only is fumigation the only solution for drywood termites because only gas can penetrate deep inside the wood (whether it’s a frame or a beam) to completely eradicate the pests, but it would take care of all the life stages of the termites. This ensures no eggs get past anyone to hatch and start a new infestation all over again.

Western Fumigation fully tarped the building to include all three homes and even though it sounds like a huge undertaking, the fumigation took only 24 hours. A relatively quick solution to what could have been a catastrophic pest problem. So, while it doesn’t sound like the drywood termites’ vacation to Pennsylvania from Italy was one to write home about, Western Fumigation did save the homes in Pennsylvania from the damage these visitors were already doing – and the bigger damage they would do if left untreated.

And it just goes to show how easily drywood termites can make their way in. Next time it could be in a desk from Germany or an antique chair from France or a cool bookshelf from the thrift shop down the road. The best bet is to have those items fumigated by a professional company before bringing them in. Western Fumigation offers container fumigation which means you can put your things in it and a couple of days later, they come out fumigated and completely free from pests. So, you’ll never bring them inside in the first place. It’s a cautionary tale. But the good news is, even if you do bring them in, Western Fumigation can take care of it like they did for these homeowners.