Thursday, January 14, 2021

It's War! Against the Termites

 On Monday I had had enough of the "sawdust" in my bedroom. Just after Jeffrey got out of the bed I took it apart and went to war with the termites.

I hitched up the mattress and leaned it against the window. It doesn't appear anything is majorly wrong until you look closer

YUK, yuk, 'sawdust' (the kind that goes through a bug) was all over everything. Sorry you can't see the termites. They are black or very brown, but if you know me, I see a bug and smash it. There were smashed bugs all over the mattress, floor and boards.

This is the one board in question that had tunnels all through the wood

"Sawdust" and debris on my floor

The termites work in layers leaving a thin paper of wood over their tunnels in layers going through the board

I got out a vacuum and filled the container full of yuk and then emptied it and filled it again and again

This is an up close look at that board

Compare the board at the left with the next two boards, it is almost eaten in half

I vacuumed and swept all of the boards and my floor several times

I brought the frame out to the balcony as my reading said that termites don't endure the sunshine



It is easy to see the damage here. The next day I asked Jeffrey to tap and see if termites were still there. YES they were. I decided that frame is not coming back into the bedroom until either a new board is put on or another frame is put in the bedroom. 

The vacuum is really small for this job and I had to take it apart and get all the fine 'dust' out of the filters and dump the compartment out a few times. The fork and tweezer was helpful in getting out all the debris from the filters.....having SO much phun!

Jeffrey and I are sleeping on the mattress on the floor and it is quite comfortable - except when Jeffrey hits his foot on the footboard or I try getting out in the night and have to remember to climb over the rail.

On Thursday a manager from the Landlord came and inspected and found out what I wanted (new board put on or new frame AND wood spray on all the boards)  he said he would take care of it.

I have almost won....I'll keep you posted:)