Mud tunnels on the surface of a pole indicate the presence of which organism?

• A. Dry Rot
• B. Carpenter Ants
• C. Subterranean Termites
• D. Wood Borers

Answer: (C)

Mud tunnels on the surface of a pole point to subterranean termites. These termites live in the soil and must keep their bodies moist as they travel to wood to feed. They build protective mud tubes from soil and saliva to bridge the gap from moist ground to above-ground wood, shielding themselves from drying air and predators while they move and feed. Other possibilities don’t produce these distinctive mud-covered passageways: dry rot is a fungus that decays wood from within and doesn’t create mud tubes; carpenter ants leave wood shavings and frass rather than continuous mud tunnels; wood borers make holes and boring dust but not the mud-lined tunnels seen on surfaces. Therefore, mud tunnels are a classic sign of subterranean termites.