We were doing some yard work the other day trying to clear away places to plant our new fruit trees. Hacking, slashing and cutting down trees and vines.
I am Standing Under the Area to be Cleared
Well we came upon a tree that had a termite nest in it. Our attention instantly went to the termites.
OMG TERMITES!!!
We have decided that termites are undesirable due to the big wood house we have. While we haven’t seen any evidence of termites in the wood of the house, we don’t want to. We rather quickly decided that we should get rid of this nest ASAP. So we did what we heard the locals do and set it on fire. The tree was covered in vines that were attracting bees so the smoke from the fire was actually helpful in ridding the tree of the foraging bees as well.
Now I know what you’re thinking. What did they set on fire?!?!
The Wood House. It’s gone.
No, no just kidding. After the fire went out and the nest had burned, I used my saw arm, which is getting stronger every day, and started cutting on the tree. I can down a small tree in around 10-15 minutes now which is a pretty big improvement. Because it was covered in vines with bees all over it we didn’t even know what kind of tree it was. We figured it was another weed/termite attracting tree. Especially since it had a termite nest in it.
The tree fell as expected and then we noticed the leaves…..
It. Was. An. Avocado. Tree! Probably 15-20years old. Ahh man! That sucks!
A humongous “Oops!”
We are still pretty bummed about that. We reacted too quickly to the termites and the damage they had done, which could have been dealt with and was nothing even close to the damage we did. We learned a hard lesson and decided to go see a movie in Mayaguez to get our minds off it. I am sure we will make many more mistakes. It sucks, but that’s how we learn.
It will grow back I’m sure there are a lot more on your property. You probably could take a limb from that tree stick it in the ground and in a couple of months have a new tree started. It is amazing how fast stuff grows there. We took limbs from trees stuck them in the ground to make a barbwire fence post supports to keep the bulls off our property. We came back in 6 months the fence posts turned into trees. Everything grows in PR just don’t burn your house down that might take some time to grow back.
Rick is right! You’ve got a 15-20 year-old root system that will help that tree grow back surprisingly fast. Just put some rocks around the trunk so you don’t forget where it is and accidentally whack the new growth!
A few posts ago you mentioned not having a phone. You might consider getting a Net10 (or other TracPhone type) just for medical emergencies and for calling the police (in other words, just for dialing out in a crisis. My phone was free and the plan is $16/month, I think.
My wife and I moved to Culebra about 3 years ago. I had lots of advice to offer, but you guys were doing just great without it, so i’ve just been enjoying your story as it unfolds.
Best wishes!
-Dave
Rick and Dave,
Thanks! Now we have some hope for the stump. It is pretty low to the ground, but we will watch for any growth! And yeah, it would be a little harder for the house to grow back 😉
Hello. It is very interesting that my family and I experience very similar situation related to termites and fruit trees over the last 20 years. We live in a very humid and rainy area in the Town of Arecibo. There are more than 18 different types of termite species. Most of them are very aggressive and fast eaters.
For me it’s been a challenge to get them exterminated. Losses in wood and other resources add up to thousands of dollars and no peace of mind. After the Hurricane Maria their population expanded having so much food resources from dead trees.
They always been close to my property but never came this close. Now they just got under our foundation and are next to my door entryway. I am so upset knowing they are ready to attack once again soon as I drop my guard off.
It is nice to know there are other dealing with the same experiences I am going through.