Why does the AgCenter ask for the trees to be inspected?
Because a swarm can come from a colony outside the house. LSU AgCenter advises inspecting the home and the trees after a swarm, since a colony may be in a stump, a dead limb or a tree base rather than in the structure.
Termite colonies are not always in the house. Subterranean colonies can live in the soil, in stumps, in buried wood and in the bases of trees, and send out reproductives from there. A swarm that lands on a porch light may have started a long way off, and the AgCenter's advice is a reminder to look at the whole yard.
The advice is also practical. A tree or stump is a finding that can be checked and removed, and the owner has more control over it than over a colony inside a wall. Knowing whether a stump is active is a useful thing to know even if the house is clean.
The inspection does not assume the colony is in a tree. It follows the evidence, and where the evidence leads to the trees, it looks there carefully. Where it does not, the report says the trees were checked and found no sign of activity.
How is a stump assessed?
A stump is assessed by its distance from the house, the soil and bark around it, the condition of the wood when probed and the presence of any trail. A stump near the foundation with activity is the most serious finding.
The stump's position matters first. A stump several yards from the house is a different risk from one touching the fence that touches the wall. The inspection records the distance and the route, since the route is what connects the stump to the structure.
The wood is probed at the top, the sides and the root flare. Soft or hollow wood, a cracked bark plate and soil packed into a crevice are the common signs. Where the stump is old and the wood is gone, the question is whether the soil beneath still holds activity, and that is decided by the inspector on the day.
A stump that shows no sign is still recorded. A recorded clean stump is a baseline, and a re-check during the swarm season will show whether that has changed.
Should a dead tree or stump be removed?
Dead wood near a house is a risk regardless of termites, and removing it is often the right step. The decision belongs to the owner, and an arborist should be asked about the tree's stability and the way to remove it safely.
A dead tree can fall, and a dead limb can drop, so safety comes first. The inspection notes the risk to the house and the people in it, and the removal decision should be made with an arborist who can see the tree.
From the termite side, dead wood close to the foundation is a food source and a route. Removing it takes away the food and the route, but the removal can also disturb a colony and send the workers toward the house. The timing and the method are worth discussing before the job starts.
A stump left in place after a tree is cut can keep a colony active for a long time. The inspection can recommend whether the stump should be ground out, treated or monitored, and the owner decides on that basis.
What should the owner keep after the inspection?
A numbered list of trees and stumps, a photograph of each finding, the decisions taken and a date for the re-check. The list makes the next swarm easier to read.
The list should match the numbers on the property map. A tree labelled as tree 4 in the list should be tree 4 on the map and in the photograph. That is the only way a later inspector can match the findings to the yard.
Note any removal or treatment done after the inspection, with the date and who did it. A removed stump that was active is part of the house's history, and a future buyer or inspector will want to know about it.
Keep the list with the house papers. A yard that has been inspected once is in a better position than one that has not, and a dated record of the trees and stumps is the simplest way to show that.
