Termite problem? Get Immediate Termite Help
The Dos and Don’ts of Termites
- Do not stack piles of timber or firewood under the house unless you want to invite termites over for a dinner party.
- Make sure you have adequate ventilation beneath a suspended floor – this helps to reduce moisture and humidity which makes it less appealing for termites.
- Keep the area under and around the building tidy.
- Do not disturb what you assume is a termite nest – it will only make them move somewhere else, making the treatment process long and arduous.
- Have all new constructions thoroughly examined.
- Find out if your neighbours have experienced problems with termites.
- There is nothing like having your house thoroughly inspected, particularly before buying a new home.
Some information about Termites
Some scary facts: 1 in 4 homes are attacked by termites!
The mother of all pests in Australia, termites have caused a significant amount of property damage for families and businesses. It is estimated that in Australia the cost of repairing the damage of termites is around 780 million a year – more than the cost of fire and storm damage combined – and this is only scratching the surface of the problem.
Nicknamed ‘white ants’, termites are much more than ants. The bill for termite damage is known for running up millions of dollars each year. At least one different type of termite exists in most areas, making them a ubiquitous and costly pest, particularly for homeowners.
Termites live on a diet of wood and wood related products. They’re also a fan of protein which they usually obtain from the bodies of dead termites. As termites search for more food, they build tunnels underground in search of more replenishment, posing a real threat to buildings and property. Termites will go so far as to build their own runways over foundations or along pipes, sometimes underground, sometimes freestanding. The purpose of such runways is to protect the termites from light and natural predators. The runways are made of the faeces and saliva of the termites, compressed underground.
There is no limit to how far termites will go in search of wood! This includes following cracks and flaws in concrete slabs and piers. They will penetrate a number of different materials in search of their prize! When they have hit eureka the colony gets to work excavating the whole inside, leaving only tunnel walls and the outer layer so it appears to still be intact. It doesn’t take long for so much damage to be done.
Termites have a particular delicacy for moist, sandy soils; particularly suburbs by the beach, making the beach holiday home dream now seem like somewhat of a nightmare. They’re also incredibly hard to spot as they leave virtually no trace of their presence until you uncomfortably have to experience the result of weakened timber!
How to control termites? Controlling subterranean termites is a specialised affair that involves inspection, treatment and preventative measures. Inspectors will know exactly what to look for and will compile a report indicating past and present termite activity. Then treatment involves killing the colony (sometimes more than one) of termites responsible. The method of using an insecticide to kill the termites is effective as they tend to groom one another, thus distributing the insecticide and killing all the termites in the process. The most significant fact here is that the Queen will also die and without her, no more eggs can be made.
