TERMITES

Australia has 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 Australia has 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 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.

An integrated approach to termite management

There are a number of strategies that can be used to reduce the risk of termite infestation.

• Termites love moisture so it is important to eliminate any source of constant moisture around your home. Leaking pipes or gutter, leaking hot water services or overflow from air conditioners should all be attended to.

• If you’re building an extension you can use certain construction methods and materials that considerably reduce termite risk. Ask us for advice at the planing stage, as these treatments can not be used once the structure is built. A termite barrier like (Kordon) will stop termites from gaining concealed access to your home.

• Regular inspections will catch the arrival of termites sooner and allow for remedial treatments to be commenced thereby reducing the amount of damage they cause.
  
  
• Termite bait (Sentricon II Recruit Termite Bait)can be used to eliminate the entire colony even if the nest and royal cell cannot be found.
  
  
• Termite monitoring and baiting stations (Sentricon II System) can be used as termite alarm systems and with the introduction of bait can eliminate the colony and thereby protect the structures where they are installed.
  
  
• Chemical Soil Barrier treatments (Premise)treatment of the soil under and around the structurecan be used to prevent termites gaining concealed entry into buildings.
  
  
• Timber products around the structure should not be in contact with the ground.
  

• Do not plant trees, shrubs and climbers against a building, and be aware that nests in mature eucalypts, tree stumps and hardwood sleeper walls are potential sources of building infestations.

What to do if you find termites?

• Do not disturb termite workings or damage. The termites may move on and find another hidden place from which to attack your home.
  
  
• Do not treat the termite with household sprays. This may kill the termites you can see but it does not affect the source of the problem the nest. It will also make our job more difficult. If there are active termites available when we arrive we can fit bait to that area, the termites will feed on the bait and take it back to the colony and we can eliminate the entire colony.

Call us NOW to speak to a professional about your termite problem.  
We have a combined experience of over 117 years in treating termites in Adelaide.