Termites!

I don't know, bugs are not my field.
It's been said teak holds up well to insects, but some termites even bore through concrete!
If the bugs were alive as you indicated, you should be able to follow the trails, to a nest.
If you can't locate the trails from outside in, it could be far away from where you found the buggers(not very good I'm afraid.

It can be hard to locate active trails...some powder-post bugs will dump their frass and seal the tube behind them.

There are solitary ( ie not colonial) borers which will even attack pressure treated lumber.

Mahogany and teak are termite resistant (but NOT termite-proof). Spanish cedar (cedrela odorata) is too, but to a lesser extent.

If you have any concern about termites elsewhere in your house a fipronil treatment (marketed under lots of trade names) should do the trick if properly done. Fipronil is as close to a magic bullet as we are likely to get in the battle against ALL caribbean species of termites.

Good luck!

Make sure all the future wood you use is 'wolminized' (sp), meaning it's pressure treated and supposedly resistant to hungry termites and warping and wet weather. Anything else is just more food for the little guys... Good luck.

Make sure all the future wood you use is 'wolminized' (sp), meaning it's pressure treated and supposedly resistant to hungry termites and warping and wet weather. Anything else is just more food for the little guys... Good luck.

You are correct Novanut but the spelling for treated wood is "womanized". That is wood that is subjected to a specified high temperature for a specified period of time under pressure & basically sterlizes/kills any insects or insect larve that are in the wood.

Jumbie -STX;)

Wolmanized

Make sure they are termites and not powerpost beetles.

The beetles typically don't tunnel much...just lay their eggs in the wood and the larvae eat their way out.
For beetles...treat with borax then apply varnish.

What's the best way to hold the beetle still when you apply the varnish?
Is there special beetle varnish brushes or is a spray application preferred?

I'm learning more each and every day 😎

Oh, thanks for reminding me. I just popped my drawers into the car oven.

We seem to have a powder post beetle infestation in one of our bathroom vanities, particularly in the drawers. So I removed them and put them into my car, which is parked in the sun with the windows up. I hope to bake 'em 'til they're dead, without de-laminating the wood.

The baking trick is supposed to work with bed bugs in bedding material, so maybe it'll work with this problem.

Wolmanized

Oh great Skys The Limit -- I stand corrected. Thanks --

Jumbie -STX

We use "Timbor" for termite treatment. It's a wonderful DIY product and highly effective. We use it every spring and so far no problem with termites. You can google Timbor to find out more.

We use "Timbor" for termite treatment. It's a wonderful DIY product and highly effective. We use it every spring and so far no problem with termites. You can google Timbor to find out more.

Thanks, do you buy it on island? on stx?

Thanks, do you buy it on island? on stx?

We have always shipped it in from a DIY Pest Control store in the states. You might call around to see if you can get it locally. As I said before we use it as preventative maintenance each year. We've been using it for 5 years and haven't had a problem.

It even helped with a carpenter ant problem.

@SkysTheLimit ???