Pressure treated wood is embedded with preservatives that are forced into the wood pores during the manufacturing process. This makes the timber resistant to rot and fungi and creates a termite-resistant chemical barrier.
It's important to keep in mind that while pressure-treated wood is a type of termite-resistant wood, it is not foolproof. Termites can damage pressure-treated wood. This typically happens if the wood gets damp and starts to decay.
But here is the answer, when buying pressure-treated wood, it's wise to know that they are rated insect resistant but not insect proof. For the first few years, say 8-10 years, pressure-treated lumber can protect your structure against termite.
If you're building or renovating your home, it's advisable to use termite-resistant wood. These include cedar, teak, and redwood. You can also use other termite-resistant building materials like concrete, metal, and plastic composite.
Use of pressure-treated lumber is another successful practice, but termites may tunnel over treated wood to reach untreated wood elsewhere. Control of termites in existing structures involves periodic inspections for termite activity, remedial insecticide treatments, or use of insecticidal bait technology.
The chemicals used to pressure treat wood aren't safe for humans, this is why non-pressure treated wood is still required for use indoors, and why builders recommended that you only use pressure treated lumber for your outdoor projects like decks, pergolas, etc.
Termites never stop eating wood because they feed on wood to survive. However, it has been found that termites do not like the smell of cedarwood, geranium, tea tree oil, cinnamon, clove bud, and garlic oils. Termites have antennae to smell and communicate for the food source instead of a nose like human beings.
To deter the pests, homeowners can obtain heartwood-grade lumber for construction projects. Termites also tend to avoid specific species of trees such as redwoods, yellow cedar, Laotian teak, and cypress. However, these types of wood are not as long-lasting as treated lumber.
You can go a step further to keep termites from feasting by sealing wood. Using a sealer will help prevent water damage that weakens wood and makes it more susceptible to termite damage. In addition to treating wood, regular pest control treatments can also keep termites in check.
How Long Termite Treatments Last. On average, termite treatment lasts about 5 years. Liquid termite treatment can last five years or more, whereas termite bait stations only last one year and need to be maintained annually.
Diatomaceous earth: Used to control many types of garden pests, this can be mixed with soil, water, or paint to help keep termites away.
Pressure treatment helps protect wood from rot and insects with the help of high pressure and preservatives, helping to extend its life. Generally, pressure-treated wood can last anywhere from 10 to 40 years, depending on a few factors.
Carpenter ants don't eat wood and pressure treated wood is also much more resistant to their attack. Replacing old, decaying or damp wood with pressure treated wood (or even with borate treated wood) is a great way to discourage carpenter ants from infesting your home.
Hardwood's moisture-retaining properties and contact with the ground make it even more enticing to subterranean termites, who construct mud tubes to access the wood. To stay safe from these invading pests, keep an eye out for subtle signs that you may have a termite infestation under or within your hardwood flooring.
Borates and pressure-treatments protect wood against termites. However, even creosote-treated railroad ties over time can be damaged by termites. Never store firewood, lumber, newspapers, or other wood products against the foundation or within the crawl space.
Drywall, also called sheetrock, is used for walls and ceilings in homes. It is made of panels of plaster enclosed on both sides with thick sheets of paperboard. Since drywall is partially made of cellulose, termites can readily feed on the paper in drywall and cause damage.
Termites found southern yellow pine and spruce the most palatable and teak the least palatable. Termites had significantly lower survival on a diet of teak compared to a group not fed at all—called a starvation control. This indicated that there is something in teak that actively kills the termites.
Dampwood termites commonly live in heavily forested areas of the country as they prefer wet wood; while, drywood termites, much more rare in the United States, prefer extremely dry wood. Subterranean termites require moist environments, live mainly in the soil and are the most destructive species.
Insects, Nematodes and Arachnids. The greatest hunters of termites are their slightly larger insect cousins, the ants. Megaponera analis is an ant species that only eats termites, which it does by raiding termite colonies for hours at a time.
Marsupials and Mammals
In the cat family, civets and genets are known for eating termites. Other smaller animals that feed on termites include bats, mongooses, and numbats. Another animal that can eat termites is anteaters. Echidnas, anteaters, and aardvarks are fond of searching for termites to feed on.
Bifen XTA: Best Fast-acting
Bifen XTS is a fast-acting, oil-based termiticide that can kill termites in 24 hours by attacking their nervous systems.
If you're looking for a durable, long-lasting material that's resistant to rot and decay, cedar is a good choice. Cedar is more expensive than pressure-treated wood. Cedar has a more natural look that many people find appealing.
We get this question a lot. The simple answer is yes, pressure-treated lumber can be used in any interior application except cutting boards and countertops. Some have also asked, after they've found pressure-treated lumber installed inside their homes, if there is any danger in having it indoors. The answer is no.