Whats causing black holes my sheetrock wall

There are no droppings on the floor. I cleaned the wall and it appeared again next day, plus another small one above it as you can see in the pictures. I have access to attic. its one story home in Dallas Texas. I get outside of my home treated every month from March until October and have not had any bug problems inside or outside.

These are the only two holes in one room that is close to front of the home. The hole shown in the pictures are on the wall between bathroom and the room. The bathroom side of the wall had no holes.

If you need anything else to help, please let me know!

 

Termites. .......................

 

You wipe them off and what's left behind.... a hole ?
Is there plumbing in that wall ?

 

That looks like insect eggs to me.

 

I cleaned the two wall hole that are the holes itself is very small, like pocking toothpick in to a wall. Bad news is I took a flash light a saw termite when it was tying to come out, but went back in.


I usually use Bifen XTS Bifenthrin Concentrate mixing 32oz in gallon of water and spry around outside my home around foundation and grass and trees from march till October every two weeks. Due to crazy rain this year, I was little late and say this mess in the bedroom earlier this week. Been using this treatment for year without any issues.


I think I am going to treat the outside foundation around the home with Termidor SC Termiticide by Termidor, which requires I dig around the foundation of the home. But not sure what can I do for inside the home, in drywall? will try to inspect in attic tomorrow!

As a last resort I will call a exterminator if necessary since groupon lots options in my area. not sure what there cost will be vs something I can do treat it and also future prevention!

 

Reading online for last 3 hours and it might be better for me to use Bora Care and treat inside the drywall by drilling holes. Many guide places like Amazon mention this is one time treatment for the wood. means I do not have to treat it again? is that true?

Also what do you guys recommend I do here for long lasting treatment?

Any guides for your suggestions or Bora Care guides on how to apply properly?

If its a permanent treatment, why not do the entire home. Whats the best way to approach that with cost, time and number of holes I drill around the entire home?

 

The forum pro should be by in the morning. He'll point you in the right direction.

 

Looks like mud tubes from subterranean termites. If I understand correctly, these are interior walls. In that case, an exterior treatment with Termidor or one of the generics with Fipronil as active ingredient would be good as there are termites present, but it won’t help with a slab construction that has termite activity in interior walls. Treating with bore-care into wall voids can protect those wall studs and sill plates, but the colony is still underneath the slab and will probably find a “weakness” somewhere. Bora=care (and generics) are a good supplement and I’ve done that to our basement stud wall preventatively, and to our garage walsl studs/sills as we did have termite activity there. Also performed soil treatment by drilling garage and sidewalk slab to inject termiticide under the same walls.

Is there a bath access behind the bath tub? If so, open it up and see if mud tunnels are emerging alongside the water pipes to gain access to the interior walls. Getting fipronil into the bath access soil and cracks/crevices and letting it run down below the slab would be helpful but still probably not enough to solve the problem.

Slab constructions make thorough inspection difficult and sometimes prohibitive as we just can’t see inside or underneath the walls. Drilling holes and applying termiticide inside the house at the base of the interior walls may be needed but that is touchy due to possible pipes under the slab. The monthly treatment that you mention is for general pest control, not a termite treatment as that would take much more volume and go to a greater depth. Keep us posted with more info as you find it.

 

I am in single story home with no basement.

did some more digging and it looks like they are entering from front of the house wall. I did not see a trail outside. but noticed few more small holes in same room on wall facing front of the home. I think they might be using attic to move. I have insulation in the attic so will need to move that to get better look.

I am thinking of spraying all the walls in that room. Is there a guide for bore-care,

• if I need to drill holes in the sheetrock where should I do that close to roof
• I say some people mentioned online to use some foaming product to get it drip down to the entire stud like Profoam Platinum Foaming Concentrate?
• What kind of sprayer I need to get. I have home depot pretty close, bore-care I will get it from Amazon.
• want to do something that is less messy while getting the job done
• I am thing about digging 6 by 6 inches trench outside foundation and using Termidor around the entire property. What do you think. house is carpeted so don't really want to drill under the slab unless I have to. I also wont know where to drill or how deep. Never done that before. drilling outside better or in garage or it has to be the area that needs treatment.

 

Here is Nisus corp. page about Boracare. Lots of info plus the label and instructions and Safety data sheets

BORA-CARE® » Nisus Corp

 

If these are subterranean termites then the attic isn’t the best place for treatment as the colony is in the soil underneath the structure. If I were to drill holes in the sheetrock wall voids, I’d drill just above the sill plate so that the plate and base of studs get treated, hopefully. I say hopefully because in a slab structure no one can see inside or underneath the voids to know the extent of damage/infestation or if treatment is in fact doing what we want. Usually Boracare and related treatments are supplemental to a subterranean soil treatment, not a stand alone treatment as the colony is living under the structure and around and outside the structure. Termite colonies are very large and widespread sometimes.

I have no experience with foaming but many operators like it.

As far as a sprayer for Boracare, a simple garden sprayer will do the job for spraying through drilled holes into wall voids. Use warm water for mixing and follow the mixing directions from their web site and info. Bora care is always messy and sticky like honey, even when properly mixed. This is considered a specialty chemical requiring that instructions be followed per directions. Not a “shake and spray” type of insecticide.

Drilling holes in the interior slab and any exterior slabs/sidewalks/porches that are against the exterior perimeter of the house is so that a continuous chemical barrier can be applied tight against the perimeter of house and under interior walls and against any footer within the perimeter of the house. The holes need to penetrate entirely through the slab to access the soil below. How you will get the termiticide into the holes, through the slab and underneath will be difficult and time consuming without professional equipment using pressure. Sometimes pouring into a funnel will work, very very slowly if it works depending on the sub strate under the slab.

Read the termidor label thoroughly, especially where it pertains to post construction treatment. This will give you an idea to the extent of labor and chemical needed. I’m estimating that 75 to 100 gallons of finished product will be needed.

This type of treatment is at the edge of DIY ability. While you are reading the labels and learning, I’d suggest that you ask around for a word of mouth recommendation for a local termite guy/girl. This is not an emergency so take your time and find someone with a good following.

 

PAbugman,

Information gathered here has been really helpful. I really appreciate it.

Few things like to get more of your insight on.

If I drill holes in sheet rock, should I do one close to the roof and one at the bottom to get sprayer head in to the large hole (depends of sprayer head, I will drill the hole accordantly) so I can try to get the entire stud treated while getting the plate on bottom treated as well. I am not going to be able to see where I am spraying, but might be able to get an idea. I think I will drill in to the sheet rock right between two studs to get better coverage. I think my attic over laps between the hallway and the room so going to try to see If I can get in to Sheetrock from attic somehow above the room.


Termiticide vs Boracare. I have been reading about it and its suggested for studs and interior walls Boracare is recommended. If I spray Boracare on the stud and wood gets eaten and taken to queen, will that not kill the colony, this sounds like a bad question, but I rather ask! I was originally thinking about spraying Termiticide in the wall of that room, but that might not be long lasting compare to Boracare.

Furthermore, I have bought Termiticide already to cover around my property. home is single story around 1300 sq ft. I have grass around the entire property except for two car garage slab and small slab that goes from garage slab to front of my door. Backyard door and all over the property is grass where I have access to soil. I was thinking of just using it around the property by digging trench on video I found on youtube on how to apply Termiticide. I will drill only if issue does not stop after doing the foundation treatment with trenches. What you think about that. I just don't want to do drill in the home due to carpet all over, I am ok with drilling in garage , front/outside of, front of main door. Do you suggest just do these areas any way while applying Termiticide around the foundation? Also any guide on where the holes should be drilled on those areas to get better coverage?

My goal is long term treatment. What is suggested to maintain the home from getting infested again?

In past all I used on exterior was Bifen XTS Bifenthrin Concentrate that I sprayed around the property every two weeks. This kept things from coming inside the home. Of course its just on the surface and not what’s coming from underground as you mentioned.
I have small tree front of the home about I think 20 feet away from the property and large hedge front of the room window which is front of the home where the issue is happening. Gonna dig trench there as well of course.

 

I wouldn't drill near the top; just above sill level. This area is priority as they are entering from the ground beneath the slab. Drill the hole big enough to get sprayer head in there so you can hit the sides of both studs and the sill plate. If you do find mud tubes in the attic, I'd spray them to the point of wet with Termidor and let them contact the chemical that way.

"Killing the queen" is a bit of a myth and salesman talk to an extent. Termite colonies develop supplemental queens regularly; it is necessary to kill a large cross section of the colony for success. Boracare will protect a lot of the wood, but not do much to the colony below. Termidor used inside the wall voids instead of bora-care is an option, too. Not as long of residual, but it is non-repellent and may kill more termites than bora care which has a repellency factor. Pest control guys aren't using bora care as a stand alone product, especially in a slab construction where inspection access is so limited, if at all.

I like the idea of trenching and treating exterior soil with termidor. If in fact the colony is large enough to be outside and inside/underneath the structure, then it will be valuable and necessary to do that. In a sense, I'm hoping that the colony is that large so that they will be afftected by the exterior treatment, which will be easier than what you are doing inside. I'll have more later.

 

I am now considering using Termidor in Sheetrock walls as you mentioned towards the bottom near the plate so I can alt least get 2-3 feet towards the top when I create opening in drywall. using Termidor instead of Boracare in the walls while trenching around the foundation and using Termidor thre as well. My only concern using that in the walls is toxic level. Should I have family leave the hope while it dries off for few hours. I have not opened the bottle so I have no idea on spell level.

Termidor was suggested by someone to me while back as a precautionary chemical and be placed around foundation last year. I was told it will last 5 year before another treatment needs to be done. But that's when used in soil. So I am not sure how will it hold up on studs in dry wall and for how long? I was only considering Boracare due to its long life, but I wish previous owner had that done on property before they placed drywall in. Things that can be done ahead of time to save headache later on is what I am usually after!

Also have not read enough about Termidor. I will look for any mud tunnels in attic tomorrow morning!

Let me know what your suggestions are as far as treatment in in drywall Boracare vs Termidor.

Thank you so much once again for the info. I will wait for anything else you might think will help me. And about the holes slab I might need to consider. I am in Dallas, Texas by the way!

 

When I worked in fla, all the slabs on new construction were required to be treated for termites prior to the concrete being placed. That treatment was said to be good for 5-10 yrs. After that period many would pay for yearly treatments which mostly consisted of holes drilled and the product applied. These are the observations of a painter. Bugman probably knows more than the rest of us put together.

 

I would think that the residual life of termidor in a wall void won't be as long as when it is applied subterranean. I'm not aware that the residual life length in wall voids is know, but i would think 9 months to a year or so.

I wouldn't worry about vacating premises for this kind of treatment.

Sunshine is hard on residual life and breaks down modern day insecticides quickly. Subterranean applications of Termidor/fipronil are giving long residual life, 5 years is not unreasonable. The life expectancy is dependent on using the proper amount according to the label though. Having a one story house is a benefit as this style protects the exterior soil perimeter from sunshine and rainwater better than two story.

 

PAbugman,

Thanks, I went in to attic yesterday and did not see any mud tunnels although I did see mud on few spots on the wood, might be from when the property was built from contractor’s shoes maybe? But that was 2004.

Its pretty tight area near the front home wall where that room is and I could not see any obvious activity.

Just received Taurus SC 78oz and 20oz bottle today. This should be more than enough for 6x6 1Inch trench against foundation and spraying in wall voids. Since as far I know the activity is in that bed room only. I was going to drill 1Inch circle 7 Inches from the floor in to drywall to get the floor plate and as much on studs on both sides. Should I go higher or 7-8 in should be high enough?

Then I was planning to use these removable hole plugs to seal the holes in drywall and do treatment each year in that area instead of repairing the drywall when I am done: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...8168/204225716 What do you think about that, cheapest I found for 1Inch hole, color doesn’t matter since I can always paint them.

I need 1Inch hole to get sprayer head in to the wall which is close to 1Inch? Inner walls are hollow, but the outer walls in that room have insulation in the wall. Should I still drill and spray on that side? I was trying to get all 4 sides of the wall? But I was also thinking to not drill on the wall facing the outside since I am going to treat the foundation around the home anyway, what you think?

I apologize for dragging this thread, just trying to get as much info as I can.

Thanks

 

PAbugman,

Have not head back on my last message regarding few things I wanted to make sure.

Also Getting the trench done myself tomorrow and Wednesday to apply Taurus SC but it suppose to rain here coming Saturday. But I read online as long as you allow 24 hours for application to settle, I should be good. We had rain over the weekend and that is why I held off until weekday.

Furthermore, I saw on another post here about punching holes you suggested on the trench about 1ft apart from each other and 2ft down using rebar. I think I like that idea to get the stuff little deeper. I am gonna punch them right next to foundation in the soil or should I do it few inches apart since my trench will be 6-8 inch wide?

Thank you,

 

The active ingredient Fipronil stays put as long as it gets to dry before significant rain. In a one story house the rain, unusually wind driven, doesn't get in the perimeter as the soffits/gutters should protect that area much better than a two story house.

I'd punch the holes in the middle of the trench about 6-8 inches apart. Since you don't have a basement, you don't need to get more than one foot of penetration. If your soil accepts the chemical, then the holes may not be necessary. You will get a feel for that when you treat.

Sounds like your almost ready!

 

PAbugman,

Thanks, Just got utility marked today just in case. Should be good to go for the job tomorrow!

Can I get your insight on few things below?

Its pretty tight area near the front home wall where that room is and I could not see any obvious activity in the attic. No mud tunnels found, but I did see some mud on some of the wood plates, but it could have been when they built the home. its looks very light, like someone use muddy food on the wood. I might still treat that wood with Taurus SC.

Since as far I know the activity is in that bed room only. I was going to drill 1Inch circle 7 Inches from the floor in to drywall to get the floor plate and as much on studs on both sides. Should I go higher or 7-8 in should be high enough?

Then I was planning to use these removable hole plugs to seal the holes in drywall and do treatment each year in that area instead of repairing the drywall when I am done: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...8168/204225716 What do you think about that, cheapest I found for 1Inch hole, color doesn’t matter since I can always paint them.

I need 1Inch hole to get sprayer head in to the wall which is little smaller than 1inch? Inner walls are hollow, but the outer walls in that room have insulation in the wall. Should I still drill and spray on that side or the trench treatment will be enough? I was trying to get all 4 sides of the room? But I was also thinking to not drill on the wall facing the outside since I am going to treat the foundation around the home anyway, what you think?


Thanks

 

Treating the wood in the attic would be my lowest priority as if you don’t do a good job at the bottom of the walls and the exterior perimeter then you are treating symptoms at best.

7 to 8 inches is plenty high. You could go lower if an outlet or something gets in your way.

I like those removable plugs; will make it easier for periodic maintenance treatments.

The trench treatment should be enough on the exterior wall sides. Is there carpet in those rooms? IF so, you could try pulling it up a little bit and spraying underneath the baseboards or something similar. IF not carpeted maybe there are gaps, cracks, crevices that you can treat into that will accept the termiticide.

 

PAbugman,

Got it, Yeap room is carpeted. Will try that for outer walls. Thanks

For void spraying I am going to do:
mix a 0.06% dilution, add 0.8 fluid ounces of Taurus SC per gallon of finished dilution.

For foundation trench:
Also mix a 0.06% dilution, add 0.8 fluid ounces of Taurus SC per gallon of finished dilution. While putting down 4 gallons for every 10ft. I don’t think I need to go any stronger then that for trench!

 

That all sounds good. The percentage that you are using is the lower rate for termites which is fine. Just making sure that you knew that. I forget; did you open up behind the bathtub to see if termites have accessed from under the tub/trap area? On a slab constructed building, I would want to at least inspect that area and most likely treat.

 

PAbugman,

Finally did the treatment around the foundation. Took forever to dig trench with all the rains going on in Texas in last few weeks. I have not sprayed in the bedroom, will be doing that in next two weeks and will inspect behind the tub at that time.

I think I can take apart the tub single handle faucet and its back plate and place inspection camera using that wide hole to check for termites. What you think/

 

I've never used an inspection camera so I don't know what to say. I imagine that if it's a good one, then it should help. I've been told that when used iside exterior walls or ceiling, sometimes all you see is the pink or yellow from the fiberglass insulation. Won't be any behind the tub.

I'm curious to know if the bath trap area is exposed soil, as it is in older houses sometimes, or is it concreted with the pipes/drain coming through.

Either way, termites can get in as they can tunnel between the concrete and pipes as that doesn't seal perfectly. If it is a dirt filled trap, I'd want to get treatment in there for sure.

If it's not dirt filled, but termites are tunneling up and alongside the pipes and whatever else, then I'm thinking your going to have to open up behind the tub as you need to get the termiticide to go down the cracks and crevices.

If dirt filled and depending on your sprayer nozzle, you might be able to gain access through the back plate and direct termiticide downward. Being in a home with no basement or rooms underneath you, there is no risk of flooding below you.

 

Been little over a year now and have not seen any activity all around home since the treatment. Thanks PAbugman for all the help here!