Termites can do some serious damage to many types of plant life and the products that result. Termites are not just interested in damaging your beautifully carved wood furniture. Termites are looking specifically for cellulose, so the trees located within your property are always at risk of termite damage. You may not care much about termite damage to your trees. You may only be concerned with termite damage to your home. However, termite activity in your propertys’ trees can result in serious problems. For example, one man from Tennessee was almost crushed to death in his yard by a falling termite-riddled tree. In addition to that, another person was killed earlier this year when a large palm tree branch struck her head. The palm tree branch had fallen as a result of termite damage.
Last year a man returned home from a hard day at work only to find that a tree had fallen onto his house. The tree eventually settled in between two different homes, resulting in a loss of electrical power. The man returning home, Stephen Pollard, felt lucky that he had been working that day. According to Pollard’s neighbor, the tree had been heard crackling before, as though it was about to tumble over. Inspectors could not help but to notice a large hole in the side of the fallen tree. The hole had been caused by years of termite activity, and the tree was thoroughly rotted. Pollard had to wait a considerable time before his electrical power was restored.
In Queensland, Australia, a woman was reported dead upon arriving at a hospital after a palm tree had fallen over and landed on her body. The woman’s identity was not given to news outlets, but she was waiting for her daughter in a residential area. It was quickly determined that termite damage had caused the palm tree to tumble over. Strangely enough, the palm tree was not terribly old, as it had been planted by real estate developers some twenty three years before it had fallen over.
Although these two cases could be called freak accidents, there is no doubt that termite damage should be monitored as much as possible. Anyone who has a treehouse built on their property should feel particularly concerned about the possibility of termite damage..
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