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Pest Profile: Termite (white ants)
Australia and Adelaide alike have the most destructive termites in the world causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to homes and business each year. It's estimated one in five homes in Adelaide have had termite at some stage of its life. Brick and steel-framed houses, as well as timber, are at risk.
Most termite pest species in Australia and Adelaide alike are subterranean termites and need contact with the soil and moisture. Their nests may be visible as a mound, or be concealed underground.
Worker termites can travel up to 100m or more through the soil in mud tubes or they can follow tree roots or service pipes to get into homes looking for food sources. A colony can number several million individuals. Their diet consists of cellulose, starches and sugars and these nearly all come from wood. Termites derive much of their protein from fungi, which thrive in humid moist conditions.
Where buildings are attacked there is often more than one entry point and in most cases entry is from concealed areas. Timbers vary in their susceptibility to attack, but those that are susceptible include both soft and hardwoods.
Subterranean termite colonies due to there below ground nature are difficult to find. Termite colonies are found in the root crown or heartwood of living trees, tree stumps, behind sleeper retaining walls, under concrete and sometimes even under floors in homes.
Every termite colony consists of 4 casts each with a specific role in the colonies social structure.
King & Queen
Their function within the colony is reproduction. The queen is generally larger. She often lays more than a thousand eggs each day. Because of her size, she will normally have her own cell within the nest enlarged to accommodate her size, this cell is known as the royal cell.
Workers
The worker caste forms the largest number of all the castes in the colony. They perform all the tasks of the colony except defence and reproduction. The worker caste of pest species is the one that does the damage to our homes.
Soldiers
Soldiers are the most distinctive, hence the easiest to identify of the species. The soldiers in the colony can be distinguished with their darker head. Their main function is to defend the colony against predators, mainly other insects such as ants.
Alate Winged reproductive
Alate (winged) termites have dark, cylindrical bodies and four long equal length wings. After their mating flight normally during hot humid weather they will then drop to the ground, shed their wings, seek out a mate and suitable nesting site, mate and commence to form a new colony. They are the future kings and queens of new colonies.
Termite Control
There are many options for termite control, they range from traditional repellent chemical barriers to non-repellent termite treated zones, termite dusting and termite baiting systems. All termite treatment methods are best left to a termite control expert. It’s important to note that termite inspections are recommended regularly and are also crucial in ensuring that termite removal is achieved.
At Allstate Pest Control we offer safe and effective Termite Control Services from Sentricon Termite Baiting to Premise Termite Elimination in Adelaide and South Australia for both Homes and Businesses. To read more on our Termite Removal Services click the links below that suit your requirements:
Call Allstate Pest Control for 24-Hour 7 Day FAST Service on 8371 1277.
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