Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites such as Porotermes Adamsoni and Neotermes insularis will only attack damp wood. They will frequently eat and attack the subterranean parts of small shrubs & trees, old fence posts, skirting boards, doorframes of buildings, tree stumps, and tree branches dropped to the ground. They will also be commonly found within old wood decks, roof eaves that are damp, showers, bathrooms or any other structures with poor ventilation or moistened timber that is subject to adjacent plumbing leaks.

Dampwood termites will often nest in the wood underneath the soil. They don’t necessarily require direct contact with the soil to obtain their moisture for survival, but often wood with a very high degree of moisture is needed. They are nearly always found in cool, moist and humid locations along coastal areas.

They will swarm periodically throughout the year. It is very common to see their swarming reproductive termites caught up in spider webs adjacent to exterior lights, because they are attracted to light.

Dampwood termites will produce faecal pellets very similar to drywood termites, although they are larger with more irregular shapes. Chemical treatments may not always be necessary for control of dampwood termites, since they will require timber that has a high moisture content.

Sometimes the correction of this problem may be as just as simply as replacing damaged timbers as well as eliminating the cause of the moisture source.

Below are pictures of the dampwood termite’s soldiers that may attack building structures in Australia