Can Termites Cause a Fire?
WouterWhen you think of termites, you probably envision termites chewing away at a tree. However, termites can also be found in buildings, damaging electrical wiring and other property.
One of the biggest causes of damage to your home is a termite infestation. Termites are highly sensitive to light. If you have noticed mud tubes or clusters of holes on your wood, you may have termites.
The best way to prevent a termite infestation is to keep your firewood off the ground. Termites can eat through your house, causing structural damage and causing fire.
There are two types of termites: subterranean and drywood. Subterranean termites live underground, while drywood termites feed on cellulose. Using a specialized burrow, they travel to and from their food source.
Using a fungicide or pesticide, you can remove a termite infestation in old wood. When you have removed the termites, you can then burn the wood. This will be safe to do so.
Several studies have investigated the relationship between fire history and termites. Most of the existing studies have been conducted at a local scale. These site-scale studies provide valuable information about the spatial dynamics of fire.
In addition to the relationship between time since fire and termites, other variables were examined. These include the proportion of bare ground, the density of trees, the average diameter of live mallee stems, and the maximum litter depth.
These results show that the density of trees and the presence of Triodia was not significantly related to the time since fire. Instead, the average diameter of live mallee and the proportion of bare ground were more strongly associated with the time since fire.
