Termites

Ballarat Termite Control & Treatment

Termites can cause significant destruction and devastation and it is incredibly important that any termite problem (aka. white ants) is addressed by a qualified and experienced pest controller. RID Pest Control are termite specialists who can manage any termite infestation backed by our lifetime of experience dealing with active termite infestation and attack.

Termites attack homes, trees, gardens and basically any timber structure. No matter the species, no matter the effected timber we can eradicate and control any termite infestation.

RID offer a range of termite related services including; Termite Baiting, Termite Inspections & Termite Barriers.

If you think you have an active termite infestation please don’t delay and get in contact NOW. We treat active infestations seriously and will schedule a priority appointment to ensure we can stop them in their tracks as fast as possible because we know the devastation termites can cause in a relatively short time.

Upon contact we’re schedule an initial appointment and termite inspection for you.

If you want to know more about identifying termites and what you should do if you discover termites read this article at our blog.

Contact the RID today for a fast response and professional advice.

Got Termites? Act NOW!

CALL 0414 567 977 FOR A FAST RESPONSE

The FIRST THING TO DO when you discover termites is to contact a PROFESSIONAL! Get RID onto the job and DO NOT DISTURB the termites!

The Treatment Process

The first step we take is to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the structure under attack, we may commence initial treatment then and there before preparing a detailed termite management proposal.

Second Step – we assess the best practice approach to eliminating the infestation providing a written termite management proposal and we’ll commence the treatment process aiming for complete colony elimination.

Third Step – we monitor and continue treatment until termites have been eliminated, from there we will provide expert recommendations for preventative treatment and schedule a follow up inspection.

It’s at this stage we will typically progress with the termite management plan and it’s recommendations and move towards termite prevention (Stage 2) to ensure they don’t re-infest your home in the future.

RID Pest are equipped with the latest thermal imaging & termite radar technology (Termatrac T3i) allowing us to assess the damage and extent of the termite infestation with minimal invasive destruction required. We are also accredited with some of the leading Termite Control products available on the market.

RID Pest Control are FipForce Termidor  & TermidorHE accredited – we use and recommend the latest innovations in non-repellent termite control chemistry. Termidor’s $2 Million Dollar warranty applies to termite prevention works completed by RID Pest Control.

Termite Information

Subterranean termites are commonly referred to as “white ants’ and although ants also live underground, they share no other real similarities in either lifestyle or appearance.

In nature, termite have a very important role to play in recycling rotting timber in the forests, and returning nutrients back into the soil. It is only when they attack our homes that they are declared pests. The damage they are capable of causing can be immense!

Termites are social insects that live in colonies and have a caste structure that differentiates soldiers from reproductives and workers.

The reproductives, or alates as they are more commonly known, when sexually mature are fully winged, and in the warmer and more humid months can often be seen swarming in the late afternoon and early evening, flying out of the bush land in an attempt to colonise new areas. Occasionally that new area may be a dwelling or other man made structure. The queen lays a few eggs, and along with the king they raise and take care of the initial brood until they are capable of taking over. Once the nest is fully established, the queen does nothing else but produce eggs. She can lay up to 2000 eggs per day, and in some species the queen can live for forty years or more. These eggs develop into more workers and soldiers, and in around five years when the colony is thriving, more reproductives. Termites have the longest lifespan of any household pest.

Workers cause all the damage! They are wingless, blind and sterile, and are solely responsible for foraging for food, constructing tunnels, building the nest and nursery and feeding the colony. They feed on timber and other cellulose based materials. They have strong preferences for some timbers over others. They particularly enjoy exotic timbers such as Oregon and Radiata Pine, although they will just as happily devour hardwood. Their gut contains protozoa or bacteria that assists in converting cellulose into sugars that are more readily digested. As they feed, they hollow out the timber and move from one area to another through small galleries and mud like tunnels made from saliva, faecal material and mud. These mud-like tunnels are known as ‘leads’.

The tunnels are created to protect themselves from predators, heat and light and the outside environment. Colony temperatures are high, somewhere around the 37 deg C area and humidity is almost 100%. In fact the high humidity enables the termites to cultivate fungi, which is harvested as an additional food source.
Soldiers are responsible for protection of the nest and in some species have a pair of highly developed mandibles or pincers designed purely to attack predators such as ants. The highly refined mandibles prevent the soldiers feeding themselves, and they rely solely on the worker to regurgitate food and feed them.

Termites will travel long distances to find food. Their nest may be 50 to 100 metres (or more) away from where the workers are foraging. They are attracted to carbon dioxide that is given off by decaying timber.
They can find their way into a structure by creating ‘leads’ up the foundations of timber-floored homes. Concrete floor homes are no safer as they are capable of traveling through concrete cracks no larger than 1.5 mm wide.
The damage caused by termites to houses and buildings is well known and researched. According to CSIRO research, 1 in 3 homes in mainland Australia will encounter termite activity and damage. In fact, termites cause around $1 billion dollars worth of damage each year to properties in Australia.

The first stage of any pest management strategy is a thorough inspection. An experienced technician should carry this out. The inspection will determine the extent of the infestation, if the termites are currently active, identification of termite species. The inspection will further determine where the termites are entering the building and what steps will be required to eradicate the termites that are present, and a strategy to protect the building from further attack.

Eradication of any existing termite infestation is vital in preventing the damage from spreading. Initially, this is usually done by gently applying an insecticidal dust such as Intrigue or arsenic trioxide to the workings. The termites then take the dust back to the nest, and as they groom themselves and each other, they pass the dust throughout the entire colony. Once the queen has been destroyed, the remainder of the colony will quickly die off.

It is extremely irresponsible to ignore an active termite infestation. It matters not if the infestation is in the home, shed or fence. The termites must be destroyed to prevent foragers locating and entering neighbouring assets.

If the technician can locate the nest, an insecticide can be applied to directly destroy the nest. Once the nest has been destroyed, the infestation should very quickly die out, however the home is not protected against re-infestation, especially if other nests are located nearby.

Since 1995, it has become compulsory in some council areas to provide termite barriers to all new domestic buildings. There is a host of both chemical and non-chemical options available, including non-repellent termiticides, reticulation systems installed either under the slab or as a perimeter protection. Physical systems such as graded stone; stainless steel mesh and aluminum strip shielding are also widely used. Newer options are frequently being developed, and without question, Australia leads the world in this technology.

A popular choice made by builders is to utilise the concrete slab (poured in accordance with AS2870) as the primary termite barrier. This is offered simply because it is cheap but is not enough to meet the minimum termite barrier requirements under AS3660 or the Building Code of Australia. Utilising this method alone is a poor choice as termites can enter the structure far too easily by travelling around and over the slab edge or even make entry alongside slab penetrations such as pipes, electric cabling etc where they can enter through less than a 1mm crack.

As a preventative measure we routinely recommend both physical and chemical barriers, reticulation systems and can assist is ensuring your home is protected from concealed termite entry.

Fipforce Accredited Professional Termite Control

FipForce Accredited Protection - Information Video (5:47)