Termites on newly collected tree

Hi everyone;

I've noticed that on a thuja I collected last fall there are termites eating some of the thick dead rotted roots under the soil.

Is this something I should be concerned about? Will they harm the living tissue? The termites came with the tree, so it has probably been living with them for decades.

Once the tree is recovered, I will repot it and remove the dead/rotting roots, but that may not be for a couple of years.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks for any advice!

Assuming the table you have the tree sitting on is made of wood, it might be advisable to treat it. Most any ant bait sprinkled on the tree and soil should get you started. Dousing the deadwood, tree, and soil with a Pyrethrin spray also will do the job -- though reapplication at one-week intervals for 3-4 weeks may be called for.

JimLewis wrote:Assuming the table you have the tree sitting on is made of wood, it might be advisable to treat it. Most any ant bait sprinkled on the tree and soil should get you started. Dousing the deadwood, tree, and soil with a Pyrethrin spray also will do the job -- though reapplication at one-week intervals for 3-4 weeks may be called for.

Thanks Jim. I have little experience with termites as they are not usually an issue this far North. I've been reading that any bait does not really work for termites, but it seems like you have had a different experience?

Bait is slower. The pyrethrin drench probably would do the job more quickly. I had them in a large Podocarpus, and I used Raid Ant spray on the deadwood. That got rid of them. But Raid is much nastier and long lasting than the Pyrethrin, and I wouldn't use it again. Stinks too.

We get them a lot on collected CA Junipers. Sometimes I'll use a syringe and inject Pyrethrin or Diazion right into their holes.

I just spray with Spectracide (Termite). It is concentrate so you have to dilute and spray. Though it is marked Termite, it works for most wood borers too. It is available at Home Depot. Good luck!

Note that some termite only eat fresh wood, some prefer dry wood so watch out...you do not want any of those in your house/walls so treat them ASAP.