There’s nothing a termite likes more than a damp, dark place rich.

So, because there was a hidden leak in the roof of Porterdale’s City Hall building on Main Street, the cellulose-eating insects considered it an invitation to set up house.

The leak, said Bob Thomson, Porterdale City Manager, was in the flashing along the northeast corner of the roof. Even though the property had been treated against termites, the created a perfect habitat for insects, which did significant damage to that corner of the building.

The leak has since been fixed, and a small section of wall in the northeast corner has been stripped down to bricks as the public works department makes repairs to the structure.

“The repair should cost less than $350 because it’s being done in house,” said Bob Thomson, Porterdale City Manager.
Once the repair is completed, Thomson said, “we’re going to have [the building] retreated and put an exterminator on contract.”

He said he expects the project to take about a week to complete.

According to the National Pest Management Association, termites cause billions of dollars worth of damage in the United States. Georgia is in the “termite belt,” with high probability of termite infestations in man-made structures.