Termite
Summary of Professional Termite Control Methods
INITIAL INSPECTION & REPORT requires a complete thorough inspection of the buildings and surrounds, and a detailed written report on areas inspected, evidence found of termite activity, high risk termite entry areas inaccessible to inspection and termite control options and limitations thereto. Recommended as essential.
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CHEMICAL SOIL TREATMENT around the perimeter and sub-floor of a building to eradicate termites attempting to gain entry into the building through a treated soil area. On the grounds of safety and effectiveness Termidor or Premise termiticide, are recommended for this purpose - discussed in detail later in this website.
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BUILDING MODIFICATIONS and MAINTENANCE including some termite risk reduction measures the homeowner carry out, such as, improving sub-floor ventilation, removal of timber in contact with the soil, opening and clearing important inspection access areas, etc.
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Regular FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS are essential and should be carried out at least every 3 to 6 months where signs of termite activity has been located in the vicinity of susceptible buildings or timber structures.
Initial Inspection of Buildings & Surrounds
FIRSTLY, it is essential for the termite controller to complete a thorough inspection of the buildings and surrounds. The property owner should be supplied with a written inspection report and detailed specifications for an integrated termite control program. It is essential that the inspection and report be received before any protective measures are commenced.
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A professional termite inspection and report, including a termite control protection advice costs vary depending on the size of the house and the style of construction and ease of inspection access.
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A professional termite inspection and report could save you thousands of dollars.
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Specific areas inspected should include accessible timbers within the crawl space in the sub-floor, roof void, interior, exterior, garden landscaping, fences, other timber structures and trees in the locality.
Chemical Soil Treatments
CONSUMER NOTE: Most home-owners are unaware that their general home insurance policy does NOT cover termite damage to structural timbers. However, appropriate professional indemnity insurance is available to professional pest controllers to cover termite damage to structural timbers in a building caused by subterranean termites gaining entry into the building through an abutting chemical soil treated area.
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If there are termites in the building, at the time of chemical soil treatment, they cannot safely return to their central colony nest through the chemically treated soil. Termites are compelled to return every few days to their central colony nest in the ground to obtain moisture essential for their survival and to feed and groom the nymphs (young termites), the king, queen and other termites.
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The installation of a chemical soil barrier requires expert knowledge and specialized equipment to form a complete and continuous barrier to protect the building from a termite entry and infestation - as illustrated below:
Trench and treat soil around external concrete slab edge - a common termite entry point Trench and treat soil around walls and piers in the sub-floor area Use rod injection to treat soil along and around the external perimeter area of the building
Drill concrete floor along all expansion joints and cracks, and treat soil thereunder Drill concrete floor around pipes and treat soil thereunder Drill concrete patio areas and treat soil area therein - a high risk termite nest location
Special care and equipment can be used to detect a subsidiary termite nest contained within the building structure.
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Subterranean termites may build such a nest in a roof or wall cavity where moisture is regularly supplied, say from a leaking shower recess, broken roof tiles, faulty guttering or plumbing.
PESTICIDE SAFETY ISSUES - Soil Treatment Termiticides
There are several types of termite control chemicals registered by the relevant State and/or Federal Government Authority for use in termite control as a soil treatment chemical.
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WARNING: Several outdated products are solvent based termite control pesticides which may cause health problems to asthmatics during the drying process.
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Termidor and Premise are the safer effective alternatives. Both are water based, have virtually no smell and of ultra-low hazard to humans, dogs, cats and other mammals.
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Termidor is manufactured by BASF, and Premise by Bayer Environmental Science.
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Termidor and Premise do NOT have an obnoxious odor or emit airborne residues or fumes. Both are registered as a low hazard insecticide with a CAUTION notation on the registered label.
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Fipronil, the active ingredient in Termidor, has been used in the USA, Australia and other countries, for flea and tick control on millions of cats and dogs. Termidor and Premise represent modern technology... they are NOT organo-chlorine or organo-phosphate pesticides.
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Some alternative termiticides have a strong repellency action to deter foraging termites. Whereas Termidor and Premise are non-repellant to the termites. Termites can enter the treated soil zone without detecting the Termidor or Premise chemical. The repellant nature of other products mean the termites can detect the chemical and will move along the treated soil areas, actively seeking a gap to gain entry into the building.
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Premise has been used as soil treatment barrier against termites for more than eight years in the USA with excellent results for long term termite control. We are not aware of any significant problems during this period.
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Premise will act to kill termites, in the higher concentration treated soil areas abutting the building. With Premise, termites that forage in the lower concentrated treated soil areas, will become disorientated, stop feeding, and are fatally diseased by natural fungi and micro-organisms in the soil.
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Both Bayer Premise and BASF Termidor claim their products will transfer from one affected termite to another ... the technology aimed at eradicating the queen termite and the entire colony - refer to the animated illustration below:
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Termites tunneling in the Premise treated soil area abutting the building (of high concentration - near the point of application) are killed outright.
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Termites tunneling in the outer parts of a Premise treated soil area (of low concentration) will not detect the Premise which adheres to their bodies and has a delayed lethal effect of several days - enough time to be transferred back to the central colony nest.
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After 250 million years of living underground, subterranean termites have evolved with a very thin waxy skin (called an exoskeleton) that readily absorbs moisture.
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The Premise active adheres to the termite exoskeleton and is readily adsorbed through the exoskeleton and into the termite's body to immobilize and kill the affected termite within a few days.
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The termites spread the Premise to other termites during regular physical contact, particularly when working together in close proximity, grooming and feeding the rest of the colony, a regular function of their daily life.
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Termites carry away or cannibalize other dead termites, further spreading the deadly effect of the Premise chemical throughout the colony.