Termites?

A couple a few slips down came here today. While talking with them they told us they were here to take their Catalina 385 blow boat over to get it treated for termites tomorrow.

This is a brand new boat. They said the manufacturer said they had no way to check the wood they were using was termite free.

It's covered by warranty but still.



Anyone else experience this?

Greetings,
Termites on a new boat???? Never heard of such a thing but it IS possible. Good of the manufacturer to cover exterminators. I DID see quite a bit of termite damage in the house of a 1974 Marine Trader that had spent most of it's life in FL. though. Makes sense...there's wood in boats and termites eat wood. Go figure.

I`m no expert but I believe juvenile termites fly, not well, but they do.
Speaking yesterday in Sydney to a guy intending to bring his sailboat home from Thailand, he was well aware to check for termites beforehand, and of our Customs & Quarantine "termite sniffer" dogs. Looks like a more general problem than is assumed.

Back when we had our wooden boat, from time to time we had to evict a few Ship's Carpenter ants (ants in Maine being more skilled than common southern termites or common carpenter ants).

Now our yard says we have to get our fiberglass boat treated for a bad infestation of polyester mites, the fiberglass equivalent of teredo worms, carpenter ants and termites.

Excerpt from COMPASS POINTS, the Journal of the Arizona Yacht Club, April 2010:

“All the rain that Southern California and Arizona have had this year has caused an outbreak of Polyester Mites. Scientists do not know why large amounts of rain cause the outbreak but have noticed this phenomenon over the years, beginning about 1960.

“Polyester mites live in both fresh and salt water and are very hard to find. They appear to be most active at night. When lying in your berth at night you can often hear them. Most of them make a clacking sound when eating, which comes from them taking very small bites of fiberglass.

“There is another strain of Polyester mites that makes a whirling sound, similar to that of a dentist’s drill. There was an outbreak of them at RooseveltLake about 12 years ago. This strain bores small holes into the fiberglass eating the fiberglass at it is removed.

“Many of us took our boats out of the Lake during that period to avoid damage to the
bottoms. The low water seems to have destroyed the mites at RooseveltLake.

“Polyester mites do have one redeeming value. Because they process fiberglass in their bodies into natural compounds when they eat the fiberglass, there is no fiberglass leftover that man has to dispose of. This is a good way for us to rid the earth of old fiberglass boats."

dwhatty said:

Back when we had our wooden boat, from time to time we had to evict a few Ship's Carpenter ants (ants in Maine being more skilled than common southern termites or common carpenter ants).

Now our yard says we have to get our fiberglass boat treated for a bad infestation of polyester mites, the fiberglass equivalent of teredo worms, carpenter ants and termites.

Excerpt from COMPASS POINTS, the Journal of the Arizona Yacht Club, April 2010:

“All the rain that Southern California and Arizona have had this year has caused an outbreak of Polyester Mites. Scientists do not know why large amounts of rain cause the outbreak but have noticed this phenomenon over the years, beginning about 1960.

“Polyester mites live in both fresh and salt water and are very hard to find. They appear to be most active at night. When lying in your berth at night you can often hear them. Most of them make a clacking sound when eating, which comes from them taking very small bites of fiberglass.

“There is another strain of Polyester mites that makes a whirling sound, similar to that of a dentist’s drill. There was an outbreak of them at RooseveltLake about 12 years ago. This strain bores small holes into the fiberglass eating the fiberglass at it is removed.

“Many of us took our boats out of the Lake during that period to avoid damage to the
bottoms. The low water seems to have destroyed the mites at RooseveltLake.

“Polyester mites do have one redeeming value. Because they process fiberglass in their bodies into natural compounds when they eat the fiberglass, there is no fiberglass leftover that man has to dispose of. This is a good way for us to rid the earth of old fiberglass boats."

Click to expand...

:lol: Funny stuff right there, could have inverter a better picture of the critter however.

SCOTTEDAVIS said:

:lol: Funny stuff right there, could have inverter a better picture of the critter however.

Click to expand...

In some places they are called snipes...

There are several destructive wood boring insects that have travelled the world and are an issue with boaters...one major insect other than dry wood termites is powder post beetles.

If you suspect any activity in furniture, paneling or structural wood..best to have it checked ASAP.

Dry wood termites can land and nest on your boat the day after you bought it...even the day after you had it treated for the last swarm...either way...best to take action.

Funny story:

While tied up at a Yacht club outstation, a fellow with a FG boat mentioned that he had seen a termite. Within minutes, the 3 or 4 woodies at the dock were under way. Some of those guys are old, so to see them move that fast was a treat!

Termites need wood and water. I purchased a house several years ago that was beside an abandoned frame home that was falling apart. It wS off the ground (chain wall) and being concerned about termites I stayed with the inspector and personally inspected every inch of the sills and floor joists. No problems. BUT during an inspection of the AC air handler in the attic he found a small area of ongoing damage. Turns of some of the soffit screens had been torn by squirrels and during the termite "flying season" a new colony started next to the evaporator/ fan. Water was being provided by the sweating of the low pressure tubing!

Over the years, I've seen several boats down here going through the tent/extermination process for Formosan termites. As Forklift said, wood and moisture is all they need. I don't think it's a big problem with boats, but it is a potential problem. They swarm like crazy in May for a while.

I've seen termites eat teak in frp boats. They were so bad in my slip neighbors Luhrs he tented it. Not uncommon at all.

I looked at an express cruiser last spring that had carpenter ants in the cabinets. They were eating the backing of the wall carpet (monkey fur?). So they traveled behind it and popped out inside the cabinets. I wondered where all that powder that was everywhere came from. Owner had it under the trees on stands for two years.

Sent from my iPhone using Trawler

koliver said:

Funny story:

While tied up at a Yacht club outstation, a fellow with a FG boat mentioned that he had seen a termite. Within minutes, the 3 or 4 woodies at the dock were under way. Some of those guys are old, so to see them move that fast was a treat!

Click to expand...

Wow, you might have just come up with a way to clear some space at a dock that's crowded with woodies. Thanks for that tip. I'll keep it in mind!

We had a 34 Mainship that we bought in Oceanside, CA with termites. The plywood around the rear sliding doors was home for them. A winter on the hard in Skagway, AK finally killed the little f.....s.