Hope I can post this here ... wasn't sure where else to put it.
I just love this old birdhouse my MIL gave me.
I had in under a large maple tree between large hostas on a flat brick.
As you can see, termites have done some damage.
I did not see this until a few months ago & had the termite folks come out & spray.
Is there anything else I can do to save this old birdhouse?
Will I be able to put it back in the garden at some point?
Thanks everyone for any recommendations.
the bottom
Put it up somewhere that woodpeckers can enjoy it!
Resin
?Trim the rot off and replace the floor? I'd prime and paint a couple of coats and then keep it somewhere up off of the ground.
Hi 2 racingboys, I would check over in the Woodworking Forum.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/dovetails/all/
I would want to save it too; it's very nice!
We had some experience in Florida with termites. They came from Underground and were in our Shed. We had to remove everything "wood" and they destroyed it (guess, burned it)
I would suggest to burn it, even if it hurts a little, but the termites can do a lot of damage, if you have other wood near the house etc.
Sorry !!
For some reason I though termites died in the winter. ???
As I can see, you are in a warmer climate (7B) and they did not died and we had to fumigate the house (a tent over the house) and we had to stay out of our home for three days. It was explained to us that they can come underground in to a crack in the foundation or fly in swarms and find an entrance in a ventilator etc.
Don't want to scare you, but you can always try to put your bird house in a plastic bag and fumigate it with some pesticide !!
yikes! ok, just added that to my "to do" list. Thanks for the info.
Would the house (bird house) be safe for the birds and chicks after it was fumigated?
That would be a major worry for me. Birds are so delicate.
hmmm... good question. I"d like to know myself.
I don't know anything about birds but certainly I enjoy them.
If I were you, That lovely birdhouse your MIL gave you would get fixed up and put in the house. You could make another one out of that plastic wood that they sell for fencing for outside.
Is the bottom the only portion with termite damage? If they haven't worked their way into the wooden sides, carefully remove the bottom and replace it with cedar; If you wish, you can also cover the bottom with metal flashing. Treated lumber would be the ticket if this were NOT for the birds. Treated lumber should NEVER used in the construction of bird feeders or houses.
A cheap fix for a wonderful bird house.
At such time as you put it out again for the birds, keep it up off of the ground.
GG
If you have a freezer large enough to hold it, 3 days in a deep freezer will do for any termites in it. They might be able to cope with a light frost, but they can't survive -20°C.
Resin
They have only gotten to the bottom from what I can tell.
actually Resin I do.
I have an upright 6 foot freezer outside that is no where near full. I could just combine all the food on a couple of shelves & maybe line the shelf for the bird house with foil or something???
Or put the birdhouse in a plastic bag. That would keep the freezer clean. I'd put newspaper in the bottom of the bag just to make sure that no holes got torn in the bag.
good idea. I will do that tonight.
Thanks guys.
If it were me, after repair, I would keep it inside as a decorative piece.
I would repair it and use it. I looks like the main damage is to the bottom. So just replace the bottom. The kind of termites you have in TN(unlike those in parts of FL) are the kind that need to go back into the ground to survive. Hanging the repaired house would keep it safe.
