Does anyone know if termites would bore through plastic? My window has a bunch of holes in it that look like termite tracks, but it is on the plastic part of the window. Any ideas??
Termites often chew through softer plastics. They play havoc with buried cables and sometimes hole water pipes causing service interruptions and major damage. A window is something else. Mostly they'll chew plastics that are buried or hidden away. Sometimes they'll eat through plastics that are up against wood their partying in at the time but they don't often wander out into the open and start such a major chewing job. My guess is that it is something else. Probably best to get a pest inspector around, there are likely to be other, really subtle, clues that will help tell the story.
haha, no. termites eat through wood only i believe. they could eat it, but due to its texture, they won't. it would kill them if they would.
Yep, they won't eat the plastic but they will bore through it to find additional cellulose. Subterranean termites feed exclusively on wood and wood products containing cellulose. Termites have protozoa (microorganisms) in their intestines which provide enzymes to digest cellulose. Although termites are soft-bodied insects, their hard, saw-toothed jaws work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, a piece at a time. Termites often infest buildings and cause damage to lumber, wood panels, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products, and fabric made of plant fibers. Their most serious damage is in the loss of building structural strength. Other costly losses include attacks on flooring, carpeting, art work, books, clothing, furniture and valuable papers. Subterranean termites feed on dead parts of trees but are not known to attack live trees.
