A Guide to Termites and Termite Treatments

Termites in Australia are shrouded in folklore and misunderstanding. Much of this folklore has grown out of the overactive imagination of bar stool storytellers and BBQ conversation stoppers. Unfortunately this misinformation can be financially dangerous and mentally disturbing. Below I will try to dispel the urban myths and reinforce the facts

 3.1 Urban Myths:

Termites destroy houses.....Myth busted…..It will take many, many years for a termite infestation to destroy a house in most areas of Australia.

 Black Ants stop termites.....Myth busted…Termites operate in a sealed tunnel system impregnable to black ants or any other sort of ants.

 If you disturb termites in the garden or fences you will chase them into the house.....Myth busted…Termite foraging is a random process and is little influenced by human activity on the soil surface

 You can infest your yard with infested mulch.....Myth busted…Termites infesting mulch will die when the mulch is moved because they will now be disconnected from their nest.

 You can infest your house with infested firewood.....Myth busted…As above, once the firewood is carried into the house the termites on the firewood will be disconnected from their nest and will die.

 You will see termites going through weep holes into the house.....Myth busted…Firstly how do termites know about a weep hole (they can not see) and Yes it does happen but 99% of all points of entry into the building are below ground level because this is were termites encounter the house 99.9% of the time.

 When your house is infested you will see holes and piles of dust.....Myth busted….Firstly termites are reluctant to break through the surface, so there will be no holes. Secondly if they do break through the surface they immediately fill the hole with ‘mud’. Thirdly when termites deposit their ‘mud’ (droppings) the material is wet and dries hard because of natural glue that binds it all together preventing it turning to dust.

 Older houses especially old wood houses are most likely to get termites.....Myth busted…Older houses became old because they were not eaten by termites because they were built of material (hardwood) less susceptible to termites attack and in a style (on stumps) that was less prone to termite attack.

 New houses especially brick veneer houses are safer......Myth busted….As above but for the opposite reasons, more susceptible building materials (pine) and more prone to termite attack due to style of construction (slab on ground)

 Units and commercial buildings etc don't get termites......Myth…Structures consisting mainly of concrete, steel and brick can not be damaged by termites but the contents of these buildings are just as vulnerable.

 Termites are out of control and eating though whole suburbs and 1 in 4 houses will have a termite infestation this year......Myth…Wrong on both counts because the numbers just stack up. If 1 in 4 houses were infested this year, then within 4 years every house owner would have experienced an attack. Think about all the people you know, now count how many have had termites in the last ten years. Better still ask them. I think you will find the infestation rate is more like 1 in 20 or 30; that has been my experience over the years.

 Every thing you hear on radio, TV, read in the newspapers or hear at a coffee morning, pub or BBQ is true......Myth…but you knew that already, you didn’t need me to tell you.

Termites and white ants are the same thing.... just different names....Fact

 Borers are not termites.....Fact

 Termites are blind and have little sense of smell....Fact

 Flying ants are mostly swarming termites....Fact

 Termites are more closely related to cockroaches than ants....Fact

 Termites are not white and don't look like ants....Fact

 Termites must start a nest in the ground. Can't (almost never) start a nest in a house.....Fact

 There are termites in almost every square metre of every yard.....Fact

 Every house will get infested on average once every 20 - 30 years. About 3% of houses become infested each year.....Fact (but no real proof because no one has ever done the research)

 98% homeowners find termites without even looking for them....Fact

 98% homeowners find termites before major damage occurs....Fact

 98% of homes get less than a few thousand dollars worth of damage....Fact

 Termites are more difficult to treat…but treatment can  ALWAYS be successful and will generally involve an integrated approach using several different treatment strategies.....Fact

 Pest control technicians can only provide part of the solution....Fact

 Your home will get termites, it's when, not if...Fact

 No termite treatment or strategy can give 100% protection….Fact

 Eternal Vigilance is your only Defence…Fact

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