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Do You Have Termites In Your Home?? |
Did you know that official figures show “subterranean termites cause five times more damage to homes than fire”?
Studies have revealed that on average
1 in every 5 homes are attacked
at some stage during their lives by this timber eating insect.
In some cases it can be as high one in three homes that are attacked and it is very difficult to detect their presence unless you’re an expert. Clearly it is important to take every action possible to prevent their menace.
When was the last time you had your home checked for termites?
Can you be certain that your home isn’t being eaten out at this very moment?
Call 8563 0430 today
if you would like peace of mind about protecting your home – your most valuable possession.
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Termites |
Subterranean termites are commonly known as white ants. However, they are distinctly different from ants in their lifestyle and appearance.
In nature, termites have an important role in recycling rotten timber in the forest and returning nutrients to the soil. When they get into our homes they are then declared pests and the damage they can cause to a home is substantial. Termites are social insects and have a caste structure which differentiates workers from soldiers and reproductives.
The reproductives, when sexually mature, are winged. In the warmer, more humid months, they swarm and can often be seen in early evening, flying out of bushland to colonise new areas, sometimes your home. The Queen lays eggs and once the nest is established, does nothing else. The Queen of a large, mature colony can lay up to 2000 eggs per day. These eggs develop into workers, soldiers and reproductives.
The workers are the ones who do all the damage. They are wingless, blind and sterile and are responsible for foraging for food, constructing tunnels, building the nest and feeding the other members of the colony. They feed on wood and other cellulose materials, but have a preference for some timbers over others. As they feed they may hollow out timbers and often move from one area to another by constructing small tunnels made from a mud-like combination of faeces and saliva over non-susceptible materials.
They make these tunnels to protect themselves from predators and from the heat, light and lack of humidity in the outside environment. The soldiers are responsible for the protection of the nest and in some species have a pair of mandibles on their head to attack predators.
Termites can travel long distances to find food. The nest may be fifty metres away from where the workers are foraging. They can work their way into a house from under the floor, up the wall cavity, alongside plumbing penetrations or through construction joints in the concrete.
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Protecting Your Home Against Termites |
No property is safe from termites! Termites are the cause of the greatest economic losses of timber in structures in Australia. Independent data compiled by State Forests shows 1 in every 5 homes is attacked by termites at some stage in its life, however CSIRO data indicates that it could be as high as 1 in 3. Australia’s subterranean termite species (white ants) are the most destructive termites in the world. In fact it can take “as little as 3 months for a termite colony to severely damage almost all the timber in a home”.
Many people fail to realise, until it’s too late, the extensive amounts of damage that termites cause to modern homes. Since they remain concealed in the wood, and enter your home through underground leads, it is often not until the damage is extensive, and timbers collapse, that you realise you have a problem.An extensive Australian Standard (AS 3660.2) deals with protecting homes from termite attack. This standard provides minimum guidelines for home owners and timber pest managers on termite control and protection.
The first stage of any pest management program is an inspection. This should be carried out by an experienced technician. The inspection will determine the extent of the infestation, if present, identification of the termite species, where the termites are entering the building and also what steps need to be carried out to eradicate any termites present and protect the building from further attack.
How termites attack your home: The most destructive species live in large underground nests containing several million timber destroying insects. The problem arises when a nest matures near your home. Your home provides natural shelter and a food source for the termites. The gallery system of a single colony may exploit food sources over as much as one hectare, with individual galleries extending up to 50 metres to enter your home, where there is a smorgasbord of timber to feast upon. Even concrete slabs do not act as a barrier; they can penetrate through cracks in the slab to gain access to your home. They even build mud tubes to gain access to above ground timbers. In rare cases termites may create their nest in the cavity wall of the property without making ground contact. In these cases it may be impossible to determine their presence until extensive timber damage occurs.
Termite damage: Once in contact with the timber they excavate it, often leaving only a thin veneer on the outside. If left undiscovered the economic species can cause many thousands of dollars damage.
Eradication of any existing termite infestation is important to stop termites entering your home or to stop any termite damage spreading. This can be done by using Exterra, a termite monitoring and baiting system which uses non-toxic bait to eradicate the colony. This system works by adding a termite attractant (Focus) to the stations around your home which the termites are attracted to. Bait is then added to the stations and the termites digest this and then this hinders the moulting process, thereby causing each termite to die. The termites also bring the bait back to their nest. Once the bait is brought back to the nest, the colony will quickly die off.
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How Can You Ensure Your Home Remains Safe? |
Here are some guidelines:
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All timber in contact with soil such as formwork, retaining walls, scrap timbers or stumps must be removed from under and around the buildings and any leaks or poor drainage repaired.
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With many concrete slab homes it is important that you ensure the edge of the slab is left exposed. Weep holes in between the bricks, found immediately above the slab, must also be left exposed. By building up gardens or soil levels over the edge of the slab or over the weep holes you may allow termites to gain undetected entry into your home.
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With suspended floor homes, any material that may be conducive to termite infestation, including any form-work, timber, tree stumps and similar materials must be removed from the subfloor and away from the external walls of your home.
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Ensure that termite (ant caps) shielding are not damaged or breached in any way (these are metal strips around the foundation). Termite shields do not prevent termite entry, but they do force termites out into the open so as they can be detected by regular inspection.
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Ensure leaking taps, showers, pipes, etc under the home or adjacent to it are repaired immediately in order to reduce moisture levels in the sub floor, as this may attract termites to your home.
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Ensure that vents to sub-floor areas are never blocked.These keep the subfloor dry so termites are not attracted to the area.
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Do not use untreated timbers to form garden beds or retaining walls as these will attract termites. Untreated timber retaining walls should be replaced.
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Scrap timber, tree stumps, mulch, tree branches touching the structure, wood rot and timber retaining walls may also attract termites. Note: Termites often build nest behind timber retaining walls.
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Gardens, pathways or turf abutting or concealing the edge of a concrete slab will allow for concealed entry by termites.
If you happen to find any evidence of termites, damaged timbers or mud workings, then immediately contact us.
Do not disturb the workings in any way. Left undisturbed we will be better able to tailor a control program to suit your home.
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Regular Inspections |
An extensive Australian Standard (AS 3660.2) deals with protecting homes from termite attack. This standard provides minimum guidelines for home owners and timber pest managers on termite control and protection. The Australian Standard recommends at least annual inspections. However, more frequent inspections are strongly recommended. Grays Pest Control can perform these inspections for you. As per the Australian Standard guidelines, our technicians will perform a thorough survey of your property, including:
· The interior
· The exterior
· The roof void and subfloor space (where applicable)
· The garden area and trees (up to a distance of 50m from the main building)
We will also provide you with a full 8 page written report detailing the results of his inspection and give any appropriate recommendations on treatment and measures you should take to help ensure the security of your home.
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TREATING TERMITES |
Grays Pest Control is an authorised installer of the Exterra Termite Interception and Baiting System.
Grays Pest Control offer a FREE proposal to install the Exterra Termite Interception and Baiting System.
So what are you waiting for, call the office today on 08 8563 0430 and arrange for a technician to come out and measure your home.