Oklahoma termites are most likely the eastern subterranean termites. These termites build tubes to travel across anything that is not wood. The tubes are typically a red- orange brown color and will connect the ground to wood or sheetrock on the inside of a home. Most all termites in Oklahoma go back to the ground for moisture every day so look low for these tubes. If you find them, you have had or currently have termites. We have a saying in Oklahoma; it’s not if you will get termites, it’s when you will get termites.
Don’t panic. They can do a lot of damage, but we have never seen damage that we could not restore. The most damage usually occurs in crawl spaces. If you have a moist crawl space you have the perfect environment for these destructive insects.
Residential Repair will repair non-structural damage and replace any structurally impacted wood. Box sill, sill plate, and joists are commonly found to contain different degrees of damage. If the termites get beyond the sub floor in the crawl space, they may be in the hardwood flooring, baseboards, and behind the paper of your sheetrock. Residential Repair will open the wall and replace any framing studs until we find the end of the damage.
Once the repairs are completed in the crawl space, you should have your home chemically treated. Please wait until the repairs are complete, as the chemical smell is strong at first and our workers are going to spend some time in that space with little ventilation. At this point you can disregard the bait systems, since the termites have reached their grand prize desert – your home. The exterior damage is commonly siding, door jambs, and trim. These can be filled if they are smaller than a silver dollar or replaced if structural or entire sections.