Termites are destructive, pesky little insects causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to homeowners every year. However, people living in brick houses and houses with treated timber frames often have the misconception that they don’t need termite protection. They couldn’t be more wrong!
The Termite Problem
Termites typically gain access into homes and other buildings through spaces in the home’s existing foundation. Wood flooring or cracks and open gaps in the foundation of your home are the perfect entry point for termites. Termites can nest in trees or underground, so they often remain undetected until they have already attacked your home. Without proper termite interception or protection, they will hollow out anything in your home made of wood including timber joists, floorboards, roof trusses and even the wall frames supporting a house. In houses with steel or treated timber frames, termites can also cause substantial damage to the finishing elements of your home. They move quickly through the skirting boards, door frames and windowsills.
How Do Economic Pest Control Technicians Eradicate Termites?
The key to eradicating termite infestations is to treat them at the source – the colony. At Economic Pest Control, we recommend using the Exterra Termite Interception and Baiting System. The system creates a unique termite interception zone. Exterra is safe for use around your family and pets. As one of the world’s most effective termite baiting systems, Exterra has been used in over 100,000 Australian homes and businesses.
If you are buying a new home, ask the skilled technicians of Economic Pest Control for a pre-purchase termite inspection. They’ll be able to provide you with a detailed report and use the latest equipment, experience and knowhow to locate and provide you with a quote to eradicate any termite infestations found.
We also have termite barriers by Bayer, called Kordon, available for new builds. The Kordon Termite Barrier is a unique building protection product that provides a physical and chemical termite system covering those areas of your home that may be susceptible to termite attack.
Ways to Make your home less attractive to termites
There are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of a termite infestation starting in your home/building:
- Keep the ground around your home dry and ensure proper drainage around the property.
- Older houses are more prone to cracks. Inspect for cracks or point of entry and seal immediately. Remember, termites can fit through openings as small
- Keep wood away from the sides of your house. If you have a wood pile, don’t store it right next to your buildings.
- Don’t plant trees, plants or place wood fencing too close to your house as these can help act as entry points
How Do You Know If Your Home Has Termites?
A common sign of termite infestation is mud “tubes” – muddy, thin tunnels that allow termites to travel between their nests and the area they’ve infested. You should also look for signs of wood damage on any external wooden fixtures (such as fences). The wood will have a wrinkled or bubbled texture. Also, be aware of soft wood flooring or skirting boards, this is also a sign that the wood has been hollowed out.
What to Do If You Find Termites
If you find a termite infestation, DO NOT try to deal with it yourself. Instead of helping you are likely just disturbing them and they’ll just move and begin feeding in a different area. Instead, call Economic Pest Control immediately. Our Termite specialists will be able to eradicate termite colonies without giving them the opportunity to relocate to another part of your home.
How Do Economic Pest Control Technicians detect Termites?
Economic Pest Control’s accredited technicians make use of a variety of tools and of course their experience to detect termites:
- Termatrac Termite Detection Radar: The radar system uses microwave emission to help pick up the concealed movement of termites through most common building materials without the requirement for physical penetration and hence building damage.
- Flir Imaging Camera: This hand-held device is a thermal imaging system which locates and measures minuscule temperature fluctuations. This makes it easy to detect infestations behind walls or wooden structures.
- Borescope: is an optical device consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an eyepiece or display on one end, an objective lens or camera on the other, enabling technicians to see between wall cavities.
- Moisture Meter: is a hand-held digital device calibrated for most building materials. It will find areas of high moisture content, which may indicate termite workings behind the walls, skirtings or door frames.
Once termites are detected, the costs could be enormous if not properly treated. So, take action immediately! The team at Economic Pest Control will detect and eradicate termites before they can do more damage.
Call Economic Pest Control for a quote on 1300 655 774.
