Termites and Pest Control Around the Home

Termites and Pest Control Around the Home

Small, quiet and secretive, termites can create structural damage in a relatively short space of time, and are costing Australians between $80 and $100 million a year. In the case of a heavy infestation, entire houses can be destroyed.

Subterranean termites, the ones that cause all that damage, live in a colony and they all have specific rolls. There are workers, stay at home mums, soldiers and reproducers. The workers are the nasty ones and forage for food for the young. The best, most readily available source of starch, sugar and cellulose is timber. They love warm, moist conditions and usually build their nests underground, at the base of gum trees or in warm areas like enclosed patios.

In order to control and prevent termites you need to keep the pests away from susceptible structures – prevention is better than the cure, and you can do this with physical or chemical barriers, baiting systems or use termite resistant building materials. Don’t have timber pergolas, verandas or steps in contact with the ground and make sure trees shrubs and climbers aren’t directly against a building.

But whatever approach you decide on you’ll want to call in a professional exterminator. So prevention is of course better than cure. If you do find termite damage around your home, don’t disturb the nest or try to kill them yourself. The infestation may simply move on to another area and continue their destruction.

Call a licensed inspector in your state for more information.

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