Unwelcome Guests, Part 1
By Gil Strachan, Fri Dec 9th

UNWELCOME GUESTS

Part One - Wood-boring Insects & Fungi

Mold and mildew can occur in your home at almost any time of theyear, if the moisture content of building materials is twentypercent or greater. (You should start to notice mouldy odors.) Agood plan of attack begins with decreasing dampness andincreasing ventilation. Maintain a negative slope away from yourhouse; and ensure that evestroughing, down-spouts and drains arefree of debris, and properly directing water away from yourfoundation wall.

Wood-decaying fungi attack wet wood, or wood in extremely humid,unventilated areas. They can cause serious damage to woodenstructures. To inhibit rot, remove the source of moisture andimprove ventilation, the same as for mould and mildew. Wet rotis characterized by dark, spongy wood, and members infested withdry-rot become brittle and cracked.

Subterranean are found in Southern Ontario and BritishColumbia, where they feed on wood and can damage houses. Termitecolonies nest underground, foraging for wood to satisfy theirappetite for cellulose. can travel above ground, andoften into houses, via shelter tubes constructed of sawdust andsaliva. are similar to ants, but with straight bodiesand antenna.

Carpenter ants and powder-post beetles are also common inSouthern Ontario. They don't ingest wood as do, howevercolonies nesting in wood can cause considerable damage. Look forsawdust and frass (excrement) near exit holes in wood. Carpenterbees are similar in appearance to bumblebees, and nest inexterior spaces such as behind fascia, soffits or other trim.

Make your house less accessible, by avoiding wood-earth contactaround the house and keeping exterior trim in good repair. Keepshrubbery trimmed back, remove tree stumps and inspect regularlyfor shelter-tubes or any signs of damage, especially in dark,unventilated areas. Pay particular attention to wooden decks andstairs, and areas where the structure rests on the foundationwall, and especially in crawl spaces or any area with an earthenfloor. Probe wooden structures with a sharp tool, as termitesoften leave no surface indications.

Look for shelter tubes, seal cracks in foundation walls andcheck where

Lose 90 Lbs in 6 Months - Sponsored Link
Ad - www.MyFatLossBlog.com Aug 18 2008 6:35PM GMT
Prescription Sleeping Pill Use Tied to Cancer
Earthtimes.org Aug 18 2008 6:35PM GMT
Somatic pharmacogenomics in cancer
Nature Aug 18 2008 6:35PM GMT
Spice-based compound may kill cancer cells
Political Gateway Aug 18 2008 6:26PM GMT
Prescription Sleeping Pill Use Tied to Cancer
Globe Investor Aug 18 2008 6:24PM GMT
Journalist Sievrers loses cancer fight
Political Gateway Aug 18 2008 6:23PM GMT
Prescription Sleeping Pill Use Tied to Cancer
Yahoo! Canada Aug 18 2008 6:23PM GMT
Moncton Hospital to get new equipment for breast cancer screening
CBC Aug 18 2008 6:19PM GMT
IU and Clarian Health to dedicate Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center Patient Care Facility
Indiana University Aug 18 2008 6:17PM GMT
AstraZeneca partners with Singapore based NCCSand NCCS for anti-cancer compounds
Quote.com Singapore Aug 18 2008 6:15PM GMT
Olympic Gold Medalist Inspires Cancer Patients Through Blog
Earthtimes.org Aug 18 2008 6:09PM GMT
Cancer battle could soon be spiced up
World Health Network Aug 18 2008 6:04PM GMT
Elderly breast cancer patients 'should not be excluded from quality of life therapy'
MedWire News Aug 18 2008 6:03PM GMT
Spice-based compound may kill cancer cells
UPI Aug 18 2008 6:03PM GMT
Thermo Fisher finds cancer cells with Toronto?s UHN
Mass High Tech Aug 18 2008 6:00PM GMT
Tongan girl loses cancer battle
Ein News Aug 18 2008 5:57PM GMT
06:55pm Tongan girl loses cancer battle
Ein News Aug 18 2008 5:57PM GMT
Olympic Gold Medalist Inspires Cancer Patients Through Blog
Yahoo! Canada Aug 18 2008 5:52PM GMT
Oncologix Announces Signing of Asset Purchase Agreement Pertaining to Selling Its Oncosphere Assets
TMC Net Aug 18 2008 5:48PM GMT
Olympic Gold Medalist Inspires Cancer Patients Through Blog
MarketWatch Aug 18 2008 5:45PM GMT
Diet Appears to Influence Colon Cancer Outcomes
Abstracts in Hematology and Oncology Aug 18 2008 5:42PM GMT
Dendreon Proceeds With Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials, AXI Gets Oil from Algae, PATH Prepares to Launch ?Ultra Rice,? & More Deals News
Xconomy Aug 18 2008 5:39PM GMT
Synthetic molecules to spice up fight against cancer
Webindia123 Aug 18 2008 5:34PM GMT
Laron dwarfs in South America may hold secrets to cancer cure
Webindia123 Aug 18 2008 5:33PM GMT
Cancer signatures uncovered
Innovations Report Aug 18 2008 5:33PM GMT
Biomedical foundation supports technology aimed at destroying cancer cells
Innovations Report Aug 18 2008 5:33PM GMT
Studies To Preempt Resistance To New Class Of Cancer Drugs
EMax Health Aug 18 2008 5:23PM GMT
Key To Treating Cancer May Be Finding Its Original Cell
EMax Health Aug 18 2008 5:21PM GMT
Older Cancer Survivors Should Heed Concerns About Dietary Supplements
EMax Health Aug 18 2008 5:21PM GMT
Despite cancer, Swayze's still lighting up
New York Daily News Aug 18 2008 5:18PM GMT
Standard approach 'unsuitable' for elderly ovarian cancer patients
MedWire News Aug 18 2008 5:17PM GMT

pipes enter exterior walls. swarm to createnew colonies closer to sources of cellulose; so be on thelookout, especially in the spring, for large numbers of flyinginsects or discarded wings.

If you suspect a colony, especially of termites, contact yourlocal environmental agency, or call a licensed, professionalexterminator.

About the author:Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representingElectrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario,Canada. www.allaroundthehouse.com is one of the web's mostauthoritative home inspection information sites.