Mud trails running up the bark, cracks packed with soil, and a trunk that sounds hollow when knocked are the main signs of termites in a tree. A tree with termites near your house matters because the same colony can forage into the building. Don't spray the trails or cut the tree down in a hurry: the colony lives on in the soil and roots. Bait stations fixed on the active trails, with stations around the house, deal with the colony itself.
How do you know a tree has termites?
The clearest sign is mud trails running up the bark. Subterranean termites can't survive in open, dry air, so they build covered trails of soil and saliva from the ground into the tree. On a palm or a rough-barked tree they often show as brown lines or patches of soil stuck to the trunk.
Other signs to look for:
- Cracks or holes packed with soil, especially near the base of the trunk
- A hollow sound when you knock on the trunk
- Loose soil or crumbly wood around the base, or under peeling bark
- Dying branches or a tree that leans more than it used to
- Pale, soft-bodied termites when you lift a small piece of bark or a mud trail
A tree can look healthy on the outside while the heartwood is being eaten. Termites work from the inside out and leave the outer layer in place, the same way they hollow a door frame.
Why do termites attack garden trees?
Trees are food, and a tree's roots sit right in the soil where the colony lives. In Malaysia, Coptotermes species cause most of the termite damage to buildings, and they attack living trees as well as dead wood. Palms, older shade trees and trees with wounds or dead sections are common targets.
Dead stumps left in the ground after a tree is cut are even easier for them. See where termite nests are and how colonies work.
Is a tree with termites a risk to my house?
Yes, for two reasons. First, the colony feeding on the tree can forage into your house through the soil, along the foundations and up the walls. A garden tree with active termites a few metres from the house is a common starting point for an infestation indoors.
Second, a hollowed tree can break. If a tree with termite damage is tall enough to reach the house, a car or a path, ask an arborist to check whether it's safe. We deal with the termites; an arborist judges the tree.
If you have found termites in a tree, check the house too. Look at the base of walls, door frames and kitchen cabinets for the signs of termites.
What should you not do?
- Don't spray insecticide on the trails. It kills the termites it touches and drives the rest away from that spot. The colony carries on.
- Don't scrape off the mud trails. The termites travelling in them are the ones that would carry bait back to the colony.
- Don't cut the tree down first. The colony stays alive in the soil and roots, the stump is still food, and the foragers that lose the tree look for the next source, which may be your house.
Take a photo of what you found and leave it alone until it has been inspected.
How we treat termites in trees
We use the same termite baiting system as for a house: bait that the termites carry back and share until the colony dies off.
On a tree, the inspection finds where termites are active on the trunk. Above-ground bait stations are fixed directly over those trails and strapped in place, so termites already feeding on the tree find the bait straight away. The number of stations depends on how many active spots there are.
Because the colony may already be foraging towards the building, we check the house on the same visit. In-ground stations around the perimeter intercept termites heading for the house and stay in place as long-term protection. Stations are checked on monitoring visits, set out in your quotation, until the activity stops.
How to keep termites away from garden trees
- Remove dead stumps and roots near the house rather than leaving them to rot
- Don't stack timber, planks or firewood against trees or walls
- Keep mulch and soil away from the base of house walls and timber
- Check the trees nearest the house whenever you check the house itself
Found mud trails on a tree near your home? Send us a photo on WhatsApp with your area, and we'll arrange a free termite inspection.