How To Get Rid of Termites In a Tree Stump- Step By Step!

A termite-infested tree stump will be an alarming signal for your home. Because it doesn’t take long for termites to make their way through the ground to reach your home.

Once a tree is cut down, its roots dry up and die within a few days. Dead tree stumps attract termites the most as they can build their nests inside them and hide. Also, termites get enough food out of these dead stumps.

The most important thing is that if termites stay in these dead tree stumps for a long time, they can prove to be a threat not only to your yard and plants but also to your home.

A lot of people ask me how to treat a tree stump that is infested with termites?

In this article, I am going to tell you how to easily get rid of termites in a tree stump.

But before that, I will tell you some of the signs of termite infestation in a tree stump.

Because many people do not even know that the tree stumps in their yard have been infested by termites until their other plants in the yard start to deteriorate or the termites attack the house.

Signs of Termites in a Tree Stump:

Termites do not easily expose themselves to humans. In such a situation, if you have tree stumps in your yard, you will not even know whether they have been infested with termites or not. But these are some signs that confirm the presence of termites in tree stumps.

Tiny Holes in Tree Stump:

Tiny holes, also known as pinholes in the terminology of pest control. Such exit holes are formed by termites when their mating season begins. Termites come out of these tiny holes to find new colonies for themselves.

You will find tiny holes in any tree stump that is infested with termites. And sometimes people ignore them because they are not aware of these signs.

Shavings on the Stump:

If you see bark hanging in a dead stump of a tree, then it means that there must be termites in it. When termites eat these dead tree stumps from inside, their wood surface becomes thinner which later dries up into shavings.

Mud Tubes on the Stump:

When Subterranean termites infest dead tree stumps, they first feed on the roots and then travel through the mud tubes to the stump.

Through these mud tubes, termites carry food from the stump to their colony which is underground. These mud tubes also protect the termites from the outside air and sunlight so that they do not die due to the drying of the moisture of their body.

Sawdust Around the Tree Stump:

Since termites consume wood, their excreta also looks like sawdust or dry wood pellet-shaped. When termites infest a tree stump, you can see small mounds of sawdust around it.

Piles of Termite Carcasses and Shred Wings:

You can see such signs when adult termites come out of the tree stump in the mating season by making tiny exit holes. During the mating season, termites develop the wings.

When these termites come out of the exit holes, some of them die while their first flying and some of them shed the wings that you see around the tree stump.

Sudden Wilting of Plants in Your Yard:

Once the termites have completely eaten the dead tree stump, they set to spread the infestation further.

In such a situation, the threat of termites starts looming first on the plants of your yard. And once they attack the roots of your plants, gradually all the plants start withering.

Based on these signs, you can easily find out whether there is a termite infestation in the tree stump or not.

Now I will tell you step by step how you can get rid of termites in a tree stump.

How to Get Rid of Termites in a Tree Stump?

As soon as you see the signs of termites in the tree stump, the first thing you have to do is to shield your home with Taurus SC so that termites cannot invade your home.

Once you have applied the Taurus SC in the perimeter of your house, you don’t have to worry at all. Because termites will not be able to invade your house now.

Now let’s move on to tree stumps and I’ll tell you how to treat tree stumps for termites. Whatever methods I am going to tell here will not harm your garden or plants.

These advanced bait systems for killing termites are in great demand. Because they detect active infestations as well as kill termites on the basis of non-repellent chemical technology.

When the termite picks it up on its body, the poison is transferred to the entire colony. This chemical can eliminate the hidden termite colonies.

Let us now know step by step how to use it.

Step 1: The first thing you need to do is find the tree stumps where you suspect termites to be.1

Step 2: Once you’ve confirmed the infested tree stumps, you’ll need to install these stakes around them.

Stp 3: You have to bury these stakes in such a way that its pop-up indicator is visible to you above the ground. Because when the termite eats the stuff inside the stake then this pop-up indicator gets activated and tells you that there is an active termite infestation.

Step 4: Once you do not see any termite activity just uproot that tree stump and dispose it far away from the house. You do not have to remove these stakes, they last up to 1 year and keep you safe from termites

When the termite eats the stuff inside these stakes, it spreads its poison to its colony which kills the entire colony.

The biggest advantage of this Spectracide bait is that if termites have spread to your yard or garden in addition to tree stumps, it will kill them as well, whereas other chemical or natural methods can only kill termites at the on-contact level.

Boric Acid:

To get rid of termites in a tree stump, you must have heard that people also use boric acid.

Although this is a natural method, it is very abrasive that can kill your plants and grass if it comes into contact with them.

Note: You do not have to use boric acid on the soil with water solution because by doing so it will easily reach the roots of the plants and damage them.

You have to use boric acid in the form of bait to treat termites in a tree stump and soil around it. let me tell you step by step.

Step 1: First of all, you have to take Aata, Boric Acid, and Sugar in equal quantity and knead it and make small marble balls.

Step 2: You have to place these marble balls on and around the tree stump. As soon as the balls are completely dry, immediately replace them with new balls.

Stp 3: Once you stop seeing termites on a tree stump, then uproot that tree stump and dispose it far away from the house.

Boric acid is a natural non-repellent method and works in the same way as other non-repellent methods.

When the termite ingests it once, it spreads it completely by going to its colony. Within 5-7 days only it can kill the entire termite colony.

If you do not have any plants or grass in your yard, you can also use boric acid mixed with water by digging a pit around the tree stump.

By the way, there are many other natural methods such as salt, vinegar, borax, and baking soda. You can use these methods for tree stump infestations, but they don’t effectively kill termites underground so the termites come back again and again.

FAQ’s:

Question 1: How to prevent termites after cutting down a tree?

Answer: After cutting down the tree, the tree stump that remains, termites get attracted towards it. Because of the deadwood. These tree stumps also have termites in their roots, so treating the tree stump alone will not work you will have to also treat the soil.

So for treating the roots and the stump you will need non-repellent methods that can kill the entire termite colony and above mentioned Spectracide advance termite bait and boric acid are best.

Question 2: Do termites eat live trees?

Answer: No, termites do not eat live trees but yes, termites can infest the bark of the tree which the tree sheds over a period of time. But as long as the roots of the tree are healthy, termites can not kill that tree.

Question 3: Can I use Vinegar to treat termites in a tree stump?

Answer: You can use the vinegar on the tree stump itself but it will not kill the termites in the roots of that tree stump even you are able to kill termites in the roots with vinegar, you can’t kill their entire colony. So you must have to use a non-repellent method.

Question 4: What are the dangers of tree stump termites?

Answer: Mostly Subterranean termites are found in tree stumps, which are very dangerous, they easily reach your house by making a way from under the ground. And it does not take much time for them to cause structural damage to your house.

As soon as you spot signs of termites in a tree stump, shield your house with Taurus SC chemical by applying it to the perimeter of your house. The presence of termites in the tree stumps of your yard is a great alarming sign that termites can attack your home at any time.

Conclusion:

Because the termites on tree stumps are subterranean termites and their colonies can be hidden deep underground, common natural methods do not work for them.

If you want to get rid of termites in a tree stump you must have to use non-repellent methods. Because these methods eliminate the entire termite colonies hidden inside.

As mentioned earlier the Spectracide advanced termite bait can do wonders without harming your plants and garden. Boric acid can also work but it will take some time.

I hope you have got answers to all your questions. You can share your valuable opinion with us in the comment box below.