Wood-destroying Organisms

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Wood-destroying Organisms

We recommend the following websites for:

Pictures and information about all types of pests. UC Davis

Dr. Vernard Lewis' research on termites. Cal Termite Webpage

A national network committed to pesticide safety. Beyond Pesticides

A consumers guide to termites and termite control. Termite.com
(An affiliated company of termite.com international)

Did you know...

More wood is destroyed each year by decay than by all the fires, floods, and termites combined!
Important Information on Decay Fungi

Click on the links below or scroll down for pictures and descriptions of typical wood-destroying organisms in Northern California.

Subterrean Termites
Dampwood Termites
Drywood Termites
Anobiid Beetles
Wood Decay Fungus
Carpenter Ants

Subterranean Termites

This species is restricted to the West, ranging from British Columbia to Mexico.

These insects are swarmers. They are about 3/8" long including wings. Bodies are dark brown to almost black. Fontanelle (frontal gland pore) is present and they have front wings with two dark, hardened veins in the front portion. The wings are brownish gray with a few barely visible hairs. Their front wing scale is distinctly larger than the hind wing scale. Legs have a slightly darkened tibia and a pale tarsus.

Dampwood Termites

As their name implies, dampwood termites locate their colonies in damp, sometimes decaying wood. Representatives of three termite families (Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termopsidae) are included in this distinct habitat group. These termites vary in appearance from family to family. Almost all are larger than the eastern/western, desert subterranean termites with the nymphs being up to 3/4" (20 mm) long and the swarmers up to 1" (25 mm) long, including wings. They occur in the Pacific Coastal and adjacent states, the desert or semi-arid Southwest, and Southern Florida.

Drywood Termites

These insects live in wood which has a relatively low moisture content (12% or less), in the Western United States, Northwestern Mexico, and Florida. They are swarmers 7/16" to 1/2 " long including wings. Their heads and pronotums are orange brown, abdomens are dark brown, and wing membranes and hardened veins are blackened. They have Antenna with 10-11 segments. They are not hairy, their tibia exhibit no spines along their length and they have no pad between their claws.

Carpenter Ants

Several species of carpenter ants, Camponotus spp., are capable of damaging wood in buildings and other structures. Carpenter ants cause problems mainly in mountainous areas and in forested rural areas along the central and northern coastlines of California; they may also invade buildings in urban locations.

Anobiid Beetles

Anobiids Beetles are the most commonly encountered of the powderpost beetles. They are also called Deathwatch beetles because of a tapping sound they make when mating. Heard in the quiet of the night by people sitting with an ill person, this tapping was believed to indicate that death was near.

Adults are from 1/32 to 3/8" long. Their shape is variable but usually elongated and cylindrical. Their color is reddish brown to black, sometimes with lighter areas of pale hairs. Prothorax hoodlike enclosing head. Antennae are not symmetrical, last three segments lengthened and expanded. Larvae are white and C-shaped. Signs of infestation are round holes in wood with piles of powdery waste below.

Wood Decay Fungus

Wood Decay fungus (poria incrassata)
For a great discussion of this problem, we recommend the following web site.

More information on poria incrassata

For a complete listing of articles and links, please visit our sitemap and links page.

	DECAY FUNGI More wood is destroyed each year by decay than by all the fires, floods, and termites combined! Commonly called rot, wood destroying fungi need three things to survive, air, water, and food. Since we can't eliminate air and their food is the wood in our homes, the only mechanical control mechanism available to us is the elimination of water. Water is the enemy of wood! Although we've all heard the term "dry rot," dry wood will not rot! Three common types of decay fungi are: 1. White Rot: white bleached look. Mostly on hardwoods. Makes wood soft and "spongy". 2. Cubical Brown Rot: Turns wood brown and breaks it into brown cubical pieces with cracks perpendicular to the grain. Brown Rot is the principal cause of building decay in the United States and it causes rapid loss of strength in infested wood. 3. Mycelium early stage of decay. Usually white in color, sometimes known as "surface fungus". Mycelial fans indicate presence of decay fungi. Fungi that color the wood green, gray, orange, black or blue are called surface molds or sap stains. These are not wood decay fungi. This fungi is often seen on unseasoned building lumber. Most decay; grow on wood subject to wetting by contact with moist soil, rain, faulty plumbing, inadequate ventilation, trapped moisture because of faulty construction and improper flashing It is important to note that the application of fungicides or insecticides to fungus-infected wood will not stop the wood decay. Only by eliminating the moisture source can wood decay be controlled. However, if wood becomes wet again, the fungus infection will become active. All structurally compromised wood should be removed and replaced with sound dry lumber. If wood is subject to a moist environment, it should be replaced with pressure treated wood.
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