Termite Inspection Inspect your property regularly for signs of termites. The best time to inspect is between April and November.

Lift any movable wood in contact with the ground, examine stumps by removing bark or cutting into them, look in the crevices of large trees for sheltered tubes and examine compost for signs.

If you find termites please call a licensed pest control company specializing in termite infestation and notify the Township of Centre Wellington Building Division.

Termite Infested Material Disposal An approved waste disposal facility has agreed to accept termite infested wood and materials from Centre Wellington residences. All waste must be accompanied with a termite waste transfer permit or the waste will be rejected at the facility. This permit can be obtained through the Building Division at the Township office.

Please take great care in the transfer of potentially infested wood products to ensure that the material is contained within the transfer vehicle.

Do you think you might have termites? Here’s some ways to detect them:

• You can easily leave dents in your baseboards or your wooden floor • Wooded window frames look spotted • You detect narrow mud tubes inside and outside your walls and foundation • Wooden door jams sound hollow • You notice strange bits of mud or a thin gritty gray-brown film on the plaster and woodwork throughout your home • You notice a “swarm” inside your home in the Spring then discarded wings that resemble fish scales

For general termite inquiries please contact:

Township of Centre Wellington Building Division

519.846.9691 1 MacDonald Square, Elora

Centre Wellington Termite

Awareness Program

centrewellington.ca

Termites at a Glance Subterranean termites are found in more than 30 Ontario municipalities and are a non-native pest that favours softwoods (pine or spruce) and faster growing hardwoods (aspen). First detected in Elora in the mid-1970s, there are now several areas of known termite activity encompassing many properties within Elora and Fergus.

Termites are wood-eating social insects that can cause a substantial amount of damage to a property – resulting in costly repairs. Preferred habitat for termite colonies is underground, or aboveground in damp or wet areas or sandy soils. Termites build tunnels to reach food and every spring, groups of reproductive termites fly off to start new colonies.

Characteristics There are three types of termite colonies: 1. Workers which are approximately 6mm long, light-coloured and wingless.

2. Soldiers have elongated heads with mandibles. 3. Reproductives are dark coloured and have two pairs of equal-length wings.

Termites can travel 500 feet (150m) from their nest, while flying termites may travel up to 3000 feet.

Termite Prevention The best possible way to reduce termite infestation is by preventing it. • Store any wood on concrete or steel elevated off the ground • When wood soil contact cannot be avoided, use a product treated to resist termites • Elevate sheds with concrete blocks and/or use concrete for floors • Remove dead trees and or any infested live trees immediately. Remove the stump by excavating or grinding ensure all chipped material is disposed of. • Use mulch made of 100% bark or stone. Wood chip mulches should be avoided. • Remove any landscaping from around buildings that may hide entry points, shelter tubes and make inspections more difficult. A clear area of 18 inches (450 mm) is recommended above the ground. • Keep new gardens and flower beds 18 inches (450mm) below the top of foundation • Fix all plumbing leaks, particularly in showers and baths.These often have leaks supplying constant moisture that make the wood just right to be eaten or for nesting. • Direct downspouts and rainwater barrel overflow away from the buildings so that water does not pool. • Maintain existing drainage. Do not create gardens or plant trees and shrubs in swales.

Termites can enter a structure by: 1. Tunneling through wood. 2. Building shelter tubes. 3. Entering cracks as small as 1/32 inch (.003 mm) in foundation walls.

Mud tube on exterior foundation wall