Termite Shelter Tubes
Even though termites can inflict a lot of damage upon a home, they are actually very fragile creatures. They are the prey of ants and others. They are also not designed to exist above ground. In order to get to wood while protecting themselves from predators and the air, termites construct what are called termite tubes to serve as tunnels between their underground homes and the timber they wish to eat.
Termite build the tubes, also called shelter tunnels, out of feces, soil, and occasionally wood particles. Termite tubes are built on the foundation wall of people’s houses so that the termites can safely get at the wood inside the home. Termite tubes are also built on the trunks of trees so that the termites can crawl up the tubes, eat the banches, and safely return to their subterranean home.
Termite tubes look like a line of mud across a surface. The tubes usually measure less than an inch across and can stretch for yards in length, sometimes up the height of a tree. The unobtrusive appearance of the termite tubes works to the termite’s advantage–a tube may not be noticed by a homeowner until an infestation has already happened.