I am relocating and will need to store 30-35 cardboard boxes of books
in my garage.  I have previously discarded many boxes that appeared to
have termite damage.  The remaining boxes appear to have no sign of
infestation in the past 1-2 years.  My question: To prevent the chance
for termite damage is it advisable to store the boxes on a row of
cinderblock placed on the cement garage floor vs. directly on the
floor itself?  Also, I assume it is best to keep the boxes several
inches away from the garage walls.  Please reply regarding this and
also offer any other garage storage tips or options.  Thank you.

Some general anti-termite tips can be found at the website below and I
quote:

"Eliminate wood to soil contact wherever possible; wood should be kept
18 inches above ground level."

http://www.termitebites.com/prevention_tips.html

skermit-ga

First the no-so-good news, and this may well be stuff you already
know:

"An attic or garage is the worst place to use for long term storage!
Excessive heat or cold causes degradation of the binding material and
a loss of resiliency in the pages. Large variations in the ambient
temperature excaberates the problem... Excessive moisture will lead to
mold, mildew, and pages that stick together, while a lack of
sufficient humidity will cause degradation of the binding and dry
rot... Cheap cardboard boxes are slighty acidic, and over the long
term may damage your [books] if they are unprotected... Unfortunately,
even the best quality box can't protect against rodents and insects."
http://www.abong.com/storage.htm

Plastic storage containers would keep out bugs, but you'd have a real
problem with mold and mildew, so that's out. And the "milk crate" type
storage boxes allow air circulation but there's nothing to slow down
the book-chewing termites. Which brings us back to the cardboard
boxes.

Assuming that you _must_ store your books in carboard boxes in the
garage -- the information I have been able to find suggests that
you're on the right track with your current plan.   Yes, do lift the
boxes up on cinder-blocks. Yes, do keep them away from the wall (18
inches seems to be the most widely recommended minimum distance).

"The aim is to maximize the distance between termites and their
potential meal... Don't store any [wood or cellulose] in ground
contact. This attracts termites... Set your firewood [or cardboard
boxes] at least 100 mm above ground (a shelf of trench-mesh sitting on
cinder blocks is a cheap solution)... High and dry is always best. "
-- Dr. Don's Quick Guide to Avoiding Termite Problems
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~dewart/avoid.htm

My own inclination would be to "go the whole hog" and place a row of
cinder-blocks, and swathe it with a sheet of vapour barrier (or old
shower curtain -- just some kind of plastic barrier) and then add a
second row of cinderblocks on which you'd put the boxes.  That would
be good and high up off the floor, with the plastic barrier to stop
any truly ambitious bugs, yet plenty of room for air circulation
around the boxes of books.


And here are a few more sites that may be useful:

Pest Prevention: Maintenance Practices and Facility Design (California
Dept. of Pesticide Regulation)
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/cfdocs/apps/schoolipm/managing_pests/71_pest_prevention.cfm?crumbs_list=1,5,34

Biology and Control of Subterranean Termites (North Carolina State
University)
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/termites/termites.htm#

Termites Tips: Urban Entomology Program newsletter (University of
Toronto)
http://www.utoronto.ca/forest/termite/tips.htm


Best of luck,
stonehaven-ga

Thanks for your comments.  The contents of the cardboard boxes are
paperback books, all securely shrink wrapped in 4 books per pack x
eight packs plus 2 individually wrapped -- for a total of 34 books per
box.  I did find some apparent termite infestation at a previous
storage location, but the damage was solely to the cardboard boxes
(i.e. not beyond the cellophane wrapping to the books themselves. 
Perhaps I could consider storing the books without the boxes, yet I
occasionally ship the books by the box, so having the boxes is a plus.
 In addition, I doubt that the stacking of shrink-wrapped books as
described above would be sturdy.  Whatever ... I do appreciate your
comments.  They are helping me to consider other options.  I'll have
to decide soon, as I'm relocating within 2 weeks.  I'd appreciate any
other comments.  Thank you.  By the way, I disposed of the infested
boxes I found earlier, yet some of those remaining may have minor
evidence of previous termite presence yet no remaining sign of active
life.  Although I'm hesitant, I assume that it is as safe to place
these in the new location as the totally unaffected ones.  I'd
appreciate thoughts on this as well.

Dear Go,

If you were really ambitious, and really concerned
about those boxes, you'd do what my husband did.

(Amazing, excessive, but effective.)

He built a wall, parallel to one existing garage wall, 
but about 5 feet apart. He built two doors into it. 
Then he built a roof over it. He sealed the entire 
structure, including rubber around the doors. Then,
I bought used filing cabinets. They're a little banged
up, but cheap. Each cabinet holds about three boxes 
of books or files. I fit 30 boxes into 10 drawers, or
two file cabinets.)

Next, he fumigated that whole space. 

Now, it's all sealed up and easily accessible. 
I can reach client files, personal treasures,
and hundreds of books (there are also bookcases
in his amazing cave).

So, if you want to go overboard...go for it. 

Have fun!

Your TaxMama-ga

Wow, that last approach was impressive!  I doubt that I'll be quite
that thorough, but it occurred to me that this simple approach might
be a decent deterrent:  1) Mount the boxes on a row of cinderblock. 2)
Wrap the entire bottom row of boxes (individually or collectively) in
sealed plastic. 3) Place the stack a reasonable distance from the
wall.  The plastic barrier at the bottom and the absence of means of
access via the wall or ceiling should help to avoid trouble.  I hope. 
Thanks again for your ideas.