Understanding Termite behaviour is a great place to start when trying to control Termites or any Pest in that case.
Termites work in many different ways throughout the year, especially during the Summer months when Termites are very active as they are cold-blooded insects. Termites not only survive in summer, but they also thrive.
Termites will attack homes, and on most occasions, the first point of contact is interior timbers such as:
- Timber Walls
- Timber Flooring
- Skirting boards
- Door Jambs
- Architraves
- Window frames
- Roof timbers
- Subfloor bearers and joists
The damage is unbelievable……
External areas such as
- Fences
- Eave fascia boards
- Weatherboards
- Trees
- Tree Stumps
- Landscaping timbers
- Posts
- Pergolas
- Retaining walls
- Decks
Rest assured, can provide Termite Control solutions in managing your home from a termite attack.
A Few Termite Control Tips
Conducive conditions attract termites, so if you can minimise the following conditions that may present themselves around the home, the better your home will be.
Things you can do to limit the chances of an attack from termites
Remove gardens from external walls, avoid water against the home, if you have to retain and landscape timbers are sure they have treated timbers or non-susceptible materials, remove tree stumps, replace old timber fences and posts, and ensure all decking timbers are off the ground are just a few of the more common conducive conditions that homeowners need to be aware of to reduce the chance of an attack.
Keep all conducive conditions away from your property or at least as far as possible away from the structure. Moisture is possibly one of the worst conducive conditions to deal with when trying to achieve Termite Control, ensure your drainage is adequate and Hot Water Systems and Air conditioning overflows are directed well away from the property, ideally into a drain.
Finding Live Termites
Warning #1 – If you find termite damage and no live termites this doesn’t mean the termites have left the building, they may have just been disturbed and moved a little further into concealed areas to avoid the light and will return later or continue on into other areas.
Warning #2 – Please do not disturb the termite damage or workings until you get a licensed termite expert like The Pest Company (Call now: 1300 552 234) to take a closer look, if you disturb the termites too much it makes it very difficult to treat live termites if they are not there any longer. Rest assured the best way to tackle the situation is to call us now for advice.
If you have opened up the termite workings, termite damaged areas and see live termites, immediately cover it with dark tape to keep the termites concealed in the areas, till a treatment by a qualified termite technician can be carried out
“PLEASE Do not spray live termites”
If in doubt call us at 1300 552 234
Learn more about Termite Control
There are more than 2,000 species of termites. Out of these, 300 are pests that can cause damage to property and plant life. According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, there are over 350 termite species in Australia. On the positive side, termites recycle organic matter back to the soil. The insects tend to avoid light as much as possible. As such, they normally tend to hide away in darkness by burrowing into materials such as wood. They also build tube-like structures using mud.
Facts About Termites
Termites thrive in a wide range of climates. However, they normally require moisture, optimal temperature, food, and shelter to survive. Termites do not have eyes but rely on chemical signals and a sense of touch to move around, find food, and build a shelter. Finally, termite colonies consist of an equal number of females and males, which is the case even for termites that work as soldiers.
Signs Of Termite Infestation
Termites mostly live under the ground or inside the wood. This can make the task of spotting an infestation quite hard. Nevertheless, these insects do leave behind tell-tale signs of an infestation including:
Swarmers/ Alates
A few times every year, usually during the summer termites leave their colonies in swarms. The swarming may take place in the afternoon, If you notice any sign of this type of activity, it is an indication that there is a termite colony nearby.
Discarded Wings
Termite swarms might appear in your absence. If you suspect this is the case, look for signs of discarded wings. When swarms leave a nest, they discard their wings soon after in order to start a new colony elsewhere. This is a sign that you have a termite problem.
Wood Damage
This is another sign that indicates the presence of termites. Therefore, you should look for any unusual patterns on wood, but more importantly, is to get a licensed termite inspector to carry out a thorough Termite Inspection and Written report.
Termite Droppings
Since termites tend to destroy wood from the inside, look for termite droppings. If you spot droppings, which can look like fine dust, you are likely to have a termite infestation.
Termite Mud Tubes
This is one of the tell-tale signs of subterranean termites. The mud tubes serve as links between a termite colony and its sources of food.
Termite Mounds
These are quite common in Australia and prolific throughout QLD They are easy to spot as they always protrude above the ground.
Where To Look For Termite Infestation
Although termites typically prefer warm and moist areas, there are certain spots around a house that require regular checks. These include foundation cracks, areas where wood makes contact with the ground, areas with foam insulation, and areas where there are crawl spaces. All of these areas provide good entry points for termites, but in the real world of termites they can track up pretty much any material, steel, bricks and even treated timbers.
Treating Termite Infestation
According to statistics published by CSIRO, only 20% of Australian homeowners hire a pest control professional to carry out termite inspections. The remaining 80 per cent just assume their homes are safe from these insects.
Subterranean Termite Treatment & Control
This usually involves the use of liquid termiticides to clear the infestation. You can opt to use repellent termiticides or non-repellent termiticides. Repellant termiticides create a barrier that is quite unappealing to the insects. To achieve this goal, one has to treat the soil thoroughly in order to cover as many termite entry points as possible. The only drawback to this form of treatment is that it only kills termites that come into direct contact with the termiticide. On the other hand, non-repellent termiticides do not repel insects. The idea is to let as many termites as possible come into contact with the treated soil. As a result, many end up dead with the possibility of a transfer effect back to the colony.
Dry Wood Treatment Options
Unlike the subterranean treatment, the dry wood approach is best left to the experts as fumigation will be required.
If you see signs of a termite infestation at home, it is important to contact The Pest Company immediately.
Because of the climate on the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads to Byron Bay areas and Brisbane it is crucial that you arrange an annual pest inspection. If termites get into your property it can be ruined in a short amount of time.
On most occasions when you find live termites, it’s not long before the damage is found,
The damage is on most occasions structural damage that requires immediate repair by a licensed Builder, Don’t waste any time call us at 1300552234.
Our Locations
The Pest Company currently operates in the following areas – click for contact details;