Fall 2008 - Issue 1

The Silversword: Home > Chaminade Life > Termites Eating Away at Campus Buildings

Termites Eating Away at Campus Buildings

Blaze Mancillas, Managing Co-Editor

Recent termite damage at Chaminade University, has ran up a bill of $140,000.

Termites have invaded T.C. Ching Hall (formerly Freitas Hall), specifically the wood above the business office. A nest about 12 to 14 inches tall and wide was found.

"We don't have an exact way of aging it," said M. Lee Goff, director of the Chaminade Forensics program. Despite the age of the nest being unknown, Goff though that the nest had been there "a number of years."

The nest was full of ground termites that were able to survive above ground due to a water leak in the roof and a smorgasbord of wood in the 80-year old building.

In the meantime termites in Eiben Hall that stormed the art room, Eiben 203, also survived on large portions of damp wood and plenty of drink from a skylight that has had chronic leaks.

"There's been a lot of feasting going on," said Dan Gillmore, vice predident of finance and facilities for Chaminade. "In all new construction we have gone to steel supports."

In 2005 the mauka side of Freitas Hall was renovated to create the Vi and Paul Loo Student Center. Steel support beams and trap doors were installed so that the structural integrity of the building could be inspected easily without the need to tear out the ceiling. The makai side will also feature trap doors and steel supports.

"Tenting doesn't work for ground termites very well," said Goff, "Injection of poisons into the ground specific for foreign insects," he suggested, is a better solution for the ground termites he deemed "tremendously destructive."

Ground termites usually remain hidden deep underground where they burrow up to the surface to their food source. Termite colonies are made up of thousands of termites who are organized as soldiers, workers and maters. There is one queen for every colony whose sole purpose is to lay eggs.