Baiting or Dusting Is the First Line of Defence

Termite baiting does not involve spraying chemicals or trenching. Stations are placed in specific areas around your home and once termite activity is discovered baits are placed inside the existing stations. The termite bait used is non-chemical that contains an active ingredient, so effective that only a small amount is needed. Termites ingest the bait and carry it to back the colony where they share it with other termites.

The Other Initial Option Is:

Termite dusting is the first phase of a termite treatment as it entails using active termites. Sydney’s Best Pest Control use Termidor Dust which is non-repellent and is 95.5% food alpha cellulose, the same material used as the food source in most of the termite bait systems.

To Apply Termidor Dust: Small holes are made in infested timber or directly onto termite trails. Using a small puffer, fine dust is puffed directly onto termites within the infested timber, these holes are covered to seal the workings, to prevent any dust escaping and to reduce disturbance of the termites.

The termites will continue to go about their normal activities long enough to transfer the Termidor Dust to unsuspecting termites within the colony. It will usually take 3-6 weeks for the colony to be affected by the dust.

Termite dusting however does not provide an on-going protection to a building from future termite attacks. There may be more than one termite nest within striking distance and termites are constantly establishing new nests.

This is why a termite soil treatment is critical following termite dusting.

Second Phase of a Termite Treatment

Termite Soil Treatment: Termite soil treatments are the preferred option for eradicating termite infestations. However, soil treatment does depend on the construction style of your home and can be discussed with the technician on the day of the termite inspection.

Termite soil barrier treatments are applied to soil areas in which the structure is in contact with including:

• Subfloor
• Concrete slab perimeters
• External wall perimeters.
• Implementation of soil treatment

If the distance between the soil and flooring timbers is greater than 400-mm the soiled areas within the subfloor are trenched and treated. In any case we normally prefer to treat the whole of the subfloor. This increases surface area coverage in the subfloor and therefore increases the likelihood of termites coming into contact with Termidor

Concrete perimeters are drilled at approximately 20 to 30-cm centres (1.2-cm holes), injected and re-concreted, as if nothing happened.

These areas could include:

• Patios
• Paths
• Garages
• Fireplaces
• Bathrooms
• Laundries

External Perimeter Walls:

• Soiled areas will be trenched or rodded
• Concrete areas will be drilled

There Are Two Main Types of Soil Treatments:

Repellent: Repellent termiticides work by creating a termite toxic barrier around a house. The treated areas become a no-go zone for termites. In order to work correctly, these termiticides need to be applied in an unbroken zone around the foundations. This can be difficult to achieve due to the construction and design of your home and if there is concrete against the house. Repellent termiticides are mostly used during the pre-construction stage.

Non-repellent: With non-repellent termiticide, termites are unable to detect that an area has been treated and hence do not avoid the treated area. When the termites pass through the termiticide, they make contact with the active ingredient, return to the colony and infest the unsuspecting termites, which will result in their extermination.

Sydney’s Best Pest Control offers a 5-year warranty on non-repellent treatment. Conditions do apply and are subject to house structure and design.

Termite Baiting & Monitoring Systems.

Termite baiting does not involve spraying chemicals or trenching. Stations are placed in specific areas around your home and once termite activity is discovered baits are placed inside the existing stations. The termite bait used is non-chemical that contains an active ingredient, so effective that only a small amount is needed. Termites ingest the bait and carry it to back the colony where they share it with other termites.

The monitoring and baiting is a complete system that involves:

• Placing monitoring stations into the ground around the entire external perimeter of the property
• Placing special stations inside the structure if there are active termites.

Termite baiting systems work very well, and once a colony is eliminated or controlled, the termite monitoring stations will continue to protect your home against new termite activity. The estimated time of colony elimination is 3 – 6 months.

Sydney’s Best Pest Control Suggest You DO NOT

• Disturb any termite workings, leads, galleries before commencement of the treatment program.
• Spray termite infested area with insecticides.
• Have trees, plants, mulch, gardens or bark type materials too close to the property.
• Cover weep holes in brickwork
• Build soil up over slab edges
• Place any plastic or newspaper on gardens any closer than 300-mm to a building.
• Allow moisture or dampness to build up in the sub floor.
• Let poor subfloor drainage attract termites
• Disturb any chemical barrier

Sydney’s Best Pest Control Suggest YOU DO

If you notice the slightest termite activity, do not hesitate to get a professional inspection carried out who will supply you with a written report and provide recommendations to reduce or remove high risk areas.

• Check timber frames inside the home
• Invest in annual termite inspections by a professional termite contractor.
• Look for blistered paint
• Check for rippled or bulging wall linings
• Check for mud packing emerging from timber joints or gyprock walls.
• Check for termite mud galleries against foundation walls, piers and edges of concrete slabs.
• Check formwork timbers left beneath suspended concrete patios
• Check stored timber or cardboard in contact with the ground in subfloor
• Ensure any timber stored alongside the house is kept as far away from the house as possible

In most cases your home is the most expensive item you might own; don’t let it be eaten away by termites!