Termites

As an experienced local termite company, we know the risk that Townsville termites pose to homes and commercial buildings is huge. No matter how old or new your Townsville home is, termites can damage your property. Living in colonies in the soil, Subterranean Termites are the most commonly occurring insect species in Australia. Their population can number in the millions, working together to chew through timber structures of your home, shed and other buildings, leaving you with paper-thin supports.

Termites, also commonly known as White Ants due to their creamy colouring and ant-like behaviours, are more readily found in humid tropical climates. There are approximately 350 species of termites in Australia, with around 20 species that cause significant damage to timber. Termites enter properties by building belowground soil tunnels with concealed entry points into buildings. These entry points are normally concealed by poor design or building practices, gardens, stored items or they can be unnoticed during professional inspection.

NO TERMITE INSURANCE - Termites are such a problem in this country that insurance companies do not cover replacement of termite-damaged timber in your property. Therefore if you were to have a termite infestation,
the repair bill could run into the thousands of dollars from having to treat the active termites then repair the damages to your property all out of your own pocket.

Homeowners trying their hand at DIY products risk killing only the termites that are visible. The rest of the colony is disturbed and then retreats to further concealed areas and build up their reinforcements to attack again.

Termite inspections are one of the first steps of termite management. In North Queensland, inspections should be carried out every 6-12 months to help ensure your property remains free from infestation. Without regular inspections, termites have time to cause extensive damage to timber structures within your house or building.

Following a termite inspection on a property, a diagnosis can be provided, in the form of advice, recommendations and management plans. Your individual termite management strategy will depend on the size and location of your property, construction methods, termite entry points, surrounding landscape, vegetation and the level of termite risk in your area.

A typical termite management plan can involve termite inspections, treated zones, baiting and monitoring or a combination of each.

A visual inspection to determine if the termite management system has been affected or damaged by flooding or torrential rain. We will report on the type of system, how it has been damaged, how it can be repaired with recommendations for further actions.

Most commonly, this is a visual inspection to accessible parts of a building or property, focusing on known common termite entry points and habits. Typically the areas accessed to provide a complete diagnosis are - ceilings, internal building areas, external building areas and subfloors. Conditions that promote termite attack are highlighted and recommendations made.

A "Chemical Soil Barrier" or "Termite Barrier" are the common descriptions given to a termiticide treated zone in the soil. This is the result of applying a liquid termiticide to the soil around the footings and/or slab edge areas, surrounding a building. This sometimes includes subfloor areas, concrete construction joints in garage step-downs, porches and patios.

There is a range of different liquid termiticide products available to apply to the soil, all with varying levels of toxicity, efficacy and suitability. Some products work by repelling, while others are non-repellent with a potential transfer effect. One of the safest non repellent liquid products available currently is Altriset, by Syngenta.

Baiting and monitoring aims to eliminate termite colonies from within and around structures. A very safe bait matrix is fed to active termites and breaks down their ability to eat. Once the colony is deceased, monitoring stations provide a very safe way to maintain a homeowner's peace-of-mind. This system consists of installing stations into the ground around your property and onto the infestations within your home. These stations have timber inside and a formulation is applied to attract termites to the stations. Baiting and monitoring provides an environmentally friendly option as there is no use of chemicals and the bait that is used is even less toxic to us than common table salt.

Spinifex Pest Control can customise a solution to suit your property and assets.

Need to talk to an expert about a solution for your property? Call (07) 4725 3666 or send an enquiry and we will contact you to discuss.

When building your new home, take the time to consider your termite management needs that will protect your home from day one. Considering a Trucore steel frame and no real termite protection? In North Queensland there is a significant termite threat. By using only metal internal frames and supposedly treated timbers, your builder may satisfy Building Code requirements, but will not even begin to keep termites out of your new home. They will devour plasterboard walls and cornices, carpet smooth edges, furniture, and books as these items all contain cellulose. While your roof may not fall in, you will have unexpected expenses for treatment, repairs and replacements. Installing proper termite protection in a new home really is one of those opportunities where "doing it right" really does count.

Spinifex Pest Control believes in doing the job right the first time, which avoids costly damage should termites find their way into your building. We will work with you to provide a complete system to protect your investment from termites.

Termite management methods can be just one of the following, or a combination:

Spinifex Pest Control holds a QBCC licence for termite management for new and existing building work as well as certification to install termite management systems. We can provide you with all the necessary forms and certificates for submission to council as well as ongoing information and reminders for continued termite management.

Speak to a termite professional today on (07) 4725 3666 or send us an enquiry and we will contact you.