Termites Started Eating My Books

You don't have to be an islander to have termites get to your book. The neighborhood in Philadelphia I lived in before moving had major termite problems. Some of my books and many of my magazines fell victom to termites. Little to say we keep our eyes open for them in this house. One never knows when they struck. They like dark places. Perhaps moving your bookshelf in a more lit area where you can keep an eye on them would help. As you have an appartement I am not sure you have that option. I seem to remember at the WHIM museum the woman mentioned that they put the feet of the cuppart in some kind of chemicals to prevent termites to get to it. I think the chemical goes into the wood over time.

Sorry for you book so. I am not sure what you could do to keep them away from the expensive ones. Even sealing them in plastic can't be good due to the humidity. You would get mold instead.

One think did come to mind and could work put your expensive treasures in plastic tubs and keep check on the humity by placing one of those humity collecting things in the tup wile it is closed. K-Mart should carry it. I am not sure what the name for the stuff is but they are often used to place under furniture or in closits to keep the humity in check. I have a can of the stuff in the house you find often in shoe boxes when you buy shoes. That stuff is great because you can bake it in the oven from time to time to dry it out and re use. I have to find the can to get the name off it. I bought at a photography supply store for archiving my film. www.lightimpression.com might carry it. You can place it in a ziplog back and punch tiny holes in the bag with a needle. That will be enough to collect moisture and makes it easy to manage. I believe that store even has meassuring tools so you can see when the humiity in the tup gets to high. I remember they did not cost too much either.

Iris

I think the brand name of the product Iris mentioned is Damp-Rid -- although that's not something you can dry out and reuse; the water dissolves it and you empty the collection cup underneath over time. It works great to remove humidity from a small enclosed space.

Regarding the bookworm problem, regular visits from the terminator should take care of it. We had this problem when my family moved to PR 20 years ago, and that did the trick.

Hello,

Termite side story...

For new residents that haven't experienced it yet... when it rains a lot in the evening (and as I have read, the temperature and light is right) the winged termites often come out.... in any case they are attracted to light and will get into the house (best bet turn off all un-necessary lights and spray a little bug spray on windows if there are any little spaces they could come through) and in the morning they are gone but the little wings are everywhere (on the car, the windows, the ground).

Anyone experience this?

--Islander

I don't like the sound of the wings falling off, Islander. Here is what my college entomology textbook, Fundamentals of Entomology (Richard J. Elzinga), says about one strain of termites: "At appropriate times, annual swarms of winged reproductives emigrate from the nest. Following a dispersal flight, wings are lost, and a male and female court and then proceed to locate a suitable nest site [in your house?]. Next, a chamber or copularium [cute] is formed, the pair mate, and after several weeks to a month, a dozen or more eggs are deposited...."

I guess the question is, Can they find a suitable nest site in your house, or can one be found only outside? Hmm....

Thanks, Iris. The drying agent you mention is, I think, silica. It's often used in pest control. The Settler's Handbook mentions a "wood preservative" that is effective. There are probably a number of chemicals that could be put on the feet of furniture.

Thanks, Rio. I'll just keep a future eye out for them.

Islander,
That happened to us after the big rains last November. We swept up wings for days.

I wonder if boric acid would do the trick for our winged friends. I know it works for carpenter ants. They take the acid back to the queen. Then the nest is dead.

Stephen

Stephen,
Where do you buy boric acid?

You should be able to buy it at any grocery store in the laundry soap section or try a drug store.

Doug,
If you don't find it in grocery store I'd check a hardware store or a garden shop.
I'm still in Rhode Island so I don't know where in the islands yet.

Stephen

Hello Ohio Guy,

Yes the winged reproductive termites are seeking a new nest... whether they are looking for the right spot in your house or outside I don't know for sure. I would guess mostly outside, considering there are hundreds flying around when they are out.

--Islander

I bought those "space bags" from Cost U Less (not bad - they worked out to a little over a dollar apiece) and have used them to save a great deal of space. Then tried it with paperwork, books, etc. that had been attracting both mold and little animals. It is, so far, working great!
Pamela.

Ok this is going to sound crazy but I had a longtime resident tell me he kept all of his important papers in the freezer.

Just my 2 cents.

No, that's not too crazy. When living in North Florida we would keep out paper for the printer and photocopier in tupperware in the fridge - not so much for the bugs but for the humidty. Still do it in my office here.
Pamela.

That is a very good idea. Even in Ohio, I was in the habit of putting bread and cereal boxes in the refrigerator to keep out insects.