| | Soil and mulch are piled above the level of the slab. This will allow the termites direct access to the house and prevent the shelter tubes from being visible. Besides termites, above grade soil can lead to moisture damage within the walls |
| | Borders around gardens can be a serious hazard. Remember, anything that covers the slab can allow the termites to enter a house undetected. The space of one brick can hide a major infestation. A good idea is to leave the offending bricks loose so that they may be removed during inspections then put back in place. Treatment should be injected under the bricks with a soil rod or drilled and treated if necessary. |
| | As bad as brick borders can be, wooden borders are a hundred times worse. Subterranean termites can enter the wood anywhere along the length then travel through the boards and directly into the house. Even creosote treated railroad ties are not safe. The creosote does not penetrate to the center of the wood leaving the ties vulnerable to termite attack. In fact, infested railroad ties have been linked to spreading Formosan termites to new areas. |
| | | On the other end of the same garden our gardener has left enough clearance to allow for inspection. |
| | These folks aren't taking any chances. |
| | Here is a house friendly wooden border. The wood does not contact the house and it is below the level of the concrete allowing for easy inspection. |
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