As a supplier of control and special cables, I get asked one question more than any other when working with clients in infrastructure, manufacturing, and residential construction: “Do your cables stand up to termites?” It’s a fair question—termites cause over $5 billion in damage to U.S. buildings annually, and for cables hidden in walls, underground trenches, or crawl spaces, they’re an often-overlooked threat that can lead to costly downtime, safety hazards, and even full system failures. Over the 12 years I’ve been in this industry, I’ve learned that the anti-termite properties of control and special cables aren’t a one-size-fits-all feature. It’s a combination of material science, construction design, and rigorous testing that sets reliable options apart from standard cables. Let’s break down what makes a cable termite-resistant, how control cables differ from special cables in this regard, and why this feature matters for your next project. Control And Special Cables
First, let’s get clear on why termites target cables. Termites eat cellulose, the organic compound found in wood, paper, and plant fibers. But they also tunnel through non-cellulose materials to access food sources, since their colonies need constant moisture and a protected path to foraging. Cables that use organic components (like paper insulation, cotton fillers, or even some plastic jacketing that contains cellulose additives) act as both a food source and a tunnel surface. For control cables—those used to transmit signals for industrial automation, building management systems, or security systems—even a small nick in the jacketing can let termites chew through insulation, damaging copper conductors or signal wires and disrupting operations. For special cables, which often serve niche, high-stakes applications like subsea power, mining, or aerospace, termite damage in remote or hard-to-reach locations can lead to weeks of downtime and exorbitant repair costs.
So what makes a cable anti-termite? The core elements come down to three key factors: jacketing materials, construction additives, and physical barriers. Let’s start with jacketing, the first line of defense. Standard control cables often use PVC (polyvinyl chloride) jacketing, which is affordable and flexible, but many formulations of PVC include plasticizers that leach out over time, and some even contain small amounts of cellulose-based stabilizers that termites find appealing. That’s why we developed a modified PVC blend for our control cables that replaces cellulose stabilizers with mineral-based additives. Tested by independent pest control labs, this blend deters termite feeding by disrupting their digestive systems—termites can’t break down the non-organic additives, so they’ll move on to easier foraging paths instead of gnawing through the cable.
For our special cables, which handle more extreme environments (like underground utility tunnels in termite-prone areas or coastal construction where humidity attracts termite colonies), we go a step further with cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) jacketing. XLPE is a high-density plastic that’s inherently non-cellulose, rigid enough to resist puncture from termite mandibles, and resistant to moisture decay that can weaken other jacketing materials. But we don’t stop at material alone—we add a secondary physical barrier for our underground special cables: a layer of fiberglass mesh wrapped between the conductor and the jacketing. Termites can’t chew through fiberglass, so even if they manage to scratch the outer jacket, the mesh acts as a impenetrable wall between them and the cable’s internal components. That’s a feature we’ve only added to our special cable line because control cables typically don’t require that level of physical protection—their shorter runs and indoor installation mean they’re less exposed to sustained termite pressure, though we still make sure they meet ASTM E1531, the standard test method for evaluating termite resistance in cable materials.
Another common question I get: do anti-termite properties affect other cable performance? For our clients, that’s a big concern—if a cable is resistant to termites, does it lose its flexibility, fire resistance, or signal integrity? The short answer is no, not when engineered correctly. Our control cables with anti-termite jacketing retain the same bend radius and temperature rating as our standard control cables, making them easy to install in tight conduit or panels. Our special cables with fiberglass barriers still maintain the tensile strength required for underground installation, so they don’t stretch or tear during burial. We’ve even tested our anti-termite cables in extreme environments: after 18 months of exposure in termite-infested soil in Florida and Texas, our control cables showed less than 0.1% jacketing wear, while standard PVC cables from competitors had 12% or more, with visible termite damage.
It’s also important to note that not all “anti-termite” cables are created equal. Some manufacturers will add low-level pesticides to their jacketing, which sounds effective on paper, but those pesticides can leach out over time—within 5 to 7 years, depending on temperature and moisture—and the cable loses its protective properties. Worse, pesticide additives can be harmful in enclosed spaces, like a building’s crawl space, where they might off-gas and affect indoor air quality. At our company, we don’t use any pesticides in our cables. Our anti-termite features are passive: either the material disrupts termite feeding, or the physical barrier blocks their path, with no harmful chemicals released over the cable’s 20+ year lifespan. That’s a key difference we emphasize to commercial and residential clients who are concerned about both pest protection and indoor air safety.
Let’s dive into specific use cases to show how anti-termite properties play out in real projects. Last year, we worked with a manufacturing plant in Georgia that had three control cable failures in 12 months—each time, workers found termites had chewed through the signal cable connecting the production line’s PLC (programmable logic controller) to the conveyor system. Production downtime cost them $15,000 per hour, so they needed a permanent fix. We replaced their standard PVC control cables with our anti-termite control cables. Eighteen months later, they reported no new cable damage, and the maintenance team saved 10 hours per week they’d spent inspecting and replacing cables.
For a special cable project, we supplied a set of power and communication special cables for a residential development in South Carolina, where the building department required termite-resistant cables for all underground utility runs. The standard special cables the developer had initially priced out included a pesticide additive, but after learning about our fiberglass-reinforced, pesticide-free special cables, they switched. They told us later that the local pest control company verified that our cables showed no signs of termite activity during their annual inspection, while nearby homes using pesticide-treated cables were already showing minor jacketing damage.
There’s a common myth that termites only affect wood structures, but that’s not true. Subterranean termites, the most widespread species in the U.S., can build tunnels up to 300 feet from their colony, and they’ll chew through any material that provides a moist, protected path—including cable jacketing. That’s why even underground cables, which you can’t see, need protection. For control cables used in outdoor lighting systems, security cameras, or remote sensor networks, termite damage can disrupt a whole system. For special cables used in mining operations, where cables are run through underground tunnels that termites can access, or in offshore wind farms, where cables run through coastal marshes with high termite populations, the stakes are even higher.
Another factor to consider: maintenance over the cable’s lifecycle. Standard cables might look fine initially, but as their jacketing degrades, they become more vulnerable to termite attack. Our anti-termite control and special cables are engineered to resist degradation from moisture and UV exposure, so their protective properties stay intact for the full design life. We also include a 10-year warranty on anti-termite performance for all our cables, which is something few other suppliers offer. That means if a client follows our installation guidelines and their cable shows termite damage within the first 10 years, we replace it at no cost. We stand behind our products because we’ve tested them in the field, not just in a lab.
I’ll be honest: when we first launched our anti-termite cable lines 10 years ago, we didn’t expect the demand we’ve seen. Clients started asking for them after hearing about termite damage in their own projects, and we’ve worked to refine our materials ever since. Now, we even offer custom formulations for clients in regions with extreme termite activity, like parts of Florida, California, and Texas, where subterranean termite colonies are particularly large and aggressive. Our special cables for these regions include an extra layer of termite-repellent coating on top of the fiberglass mesh, so even if a termite manages to get through the outer jacket, the coating keeps them from trying to chew through the mesh.
At the end of the day, choosing the right cable isn’t just about cost—it’s about reliability and long-term savings. A standard control cable might cost 10% less upfront, but if it fails every 2 to 3 years, you’re spending more on replacements and downtime than you would for a slightly more expensive anti-termite cable. For special cables, the cost of failure is even higher—one underground special cable failure can cost tens of thousands of dollars in repair, not to mention lost revenue.
If you’re working on a project in a termite-prone area, or if you’ve dealt with cable damage from termites before, don’t settle for a cable that offers only partial protection. Our team has decades of experience helping clients select the right control and special cables for their specific needs, and we can walk you through our testing data, installation guidelines, and warranty options. Whether you need control cables for an industrial facility, special cables for an underground utility project, or custom anti-termite cables for a unique application, we’re here to help you find a solution that protects your investment for years to come.
If you’d like to discuss your project requirements in more detail and get a tailored quote for anti-termite control or special cables, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team to start a procurement conversation. We’re ready to answer your questions and provide the solutions you need.
Aluminum Core Cable References
ASTM E1531-20, Standard Test Method for Evaluating Termite Resistance of Materials Used in Underground and Subterranean Applications
National Pest Management Association. (2023). Termite Damage Statistics and Prevention Guide
Underwriters Laboratories. (2021). Standard for Safety for Cables and Wires for Use in Hazardous Locations
Cable Technology Institute. (2022). Special Cable Materials and Performance Standards for Harsh Environments
Hebei Fengbo Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd.
Address: No.100 meters south, East Ring Road & Wei’er Road intersection, Huang’erying East Village, Jiajiakou Town, Ningjin County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, China
E-mail: fonbocable@gmail.com
WebSite: https://www.fonbocable.com/
