did i bring termites home?

[p575]

i cut about a cord and a half of what i was told was chestnut oak last week, the tree was standing, the top was dead, but the trunk appeared to still be living, it was still very wet and had the bark on it. i split the wood on site, and brought it home, it was a cold day, probably about 40. never did i see any bugs of any sort that day.
fast forward to today, i went out to stack the wood (i had just dumped it) and when i went to pull the tarp off of it, i found hundreds of winged creatures on the tarp. they seemed very lethargic, almost drunk(temps were in the high 60's today) they wouldn't fly away. looked on my neighbors garage, and they were all over the side of it, and they were all over a tree in the yard. did i bring these home in the wood? will the next freeze do away with them? what do i need to do, the last thing i want is termites in the garage, or worse yet, the house...

thanks
justin

 

[Industry]

Can you post a pic? could be carpenter ants as well. I did pest control for 3 years, but it was in Maine, so I don't know what is more common in your area.

 

[p575]

its dark out now, i thought about taking a picture but didn't. i googled pictures of termites and carpenter ants, i cant tell the difference from what i remember. are carpenter ants bad? i'll get pictures tommorow.

 

[woodchuck361]

first off, cold day 40? Anyhow I doubt by the number you described that you brought anything home. probably a hatch from somewhere close though. Could be from the tree you said they were covering or maybe there from your neighbor. Neighbors are great for stuff like that. Infesting you with bugs that is Good luck getting rid of them hope it gets cold and kills them.

 

[p575]

first off, cold day 40?

i guess its relative, thats the coldest day weve had in months here, i just looked it up, it was a high of 42, low of 24 if that helps.

 

[LNG24]

Carpenter Ants have a thin abdomen. See pic.

 

[woodchuck361]

Awhhh man I'm just give'n ya a hard time. Its the 11th of dec. and 76deg. here. This must be what christmas in L.A. California is like. I would be happy to have the cool weather back. Good luck with the bugs.

 

[Mike Van]

Sounds like carpenter ants to me, are they black? Termites have a translucent body I believe. The ants just go dormant when it's cold, they won't die. They like oak, apple, hell, they like pretty much everything. I keep a can or two of hornet spray [Bee Bopper, whatever it's called] It works fast. Usually find them while you're splitting, sometimes by the thousands.

 

[p575]

i went back out to the woodpile this morning, and theres no trace of the critters. i looked high and low and couldn't find anything. guess im safe for now. thanks for the help

 

[Industry]

Did you look at the pic that LNG posted?

 

[sawfix]

not to sure about that. lets hope they didnt find a place in your house or garage. i had some carpenter ants that ate away a truss in the garage they made a path right down the center of it! keep an eye out when it warms up in the spring! sometimes youll see 1/8 inch holes in trees or structure/siding. spray for the buggers!

 

[p575]

Did you look at the pic that LNG posted?

i did, but i didn't study the little guys close enough to be able to tell, and there gone now. i'll go back out later, and see if i can find one.