THE BITING TRUTH ABOUT TERMITESTermites will eat you out of your home.
Termites need only 1/64th of an inch to enter the home. Common entryways may include a slab wall, lumber in contact with the soil, an earth-filled stoop, expansion joints, brick veneer, and foam insulation in contact with soil. Subterranean Termites Termites are the cause of the greatest economic losses of timber in structures in Australia. Independent data complied by State Forests shows 1 in every 5 is attacked by termites at some stage in its life, however CSIRO data indicates that it could be as high as 1 in 3. Australia’s subterranean termite species (white ant) are the most destructive termites in the world. In fact it can take "as little as 3 months for a termite colony to severely damage almost all the timber in a home". How termites attack your home: The most destructive species live in large underground nests containing several million timber destroying insects. The problem arises when a nest matures near you home. Your home provides natural shelter and a food source for the termites. The gallery system of a single colony may exploit food sources over as much as one hectare, with individual galleries extending up to 50 metres to enter your home, where there is a smorgasbord of timber to feast upon. Even concrete slabs do not act as a barrier; they can penetrate through cracks in the slab to gain access to your home. They even build mud tubes to gain access to above ground timbers. In rare cases termites may create their nest in the cavity wall of the property without making ground contact. In these cases it may be impossible to determine their presence until extensive timber damage occurs. A baiting system can provide an answer to this problem by eradicating the colony causing the damage. Termite damage: Once in contact with the timber they excavate it, often leaving only a thin veneer on the outside. If left undiscovered they can cause many thousands of dollars damage and cost two to five thousand dollars (or more) to treat. Termites are extremely sensitive to temperature, humidity and light and hence cannot move over ground like most insects. They travel in mud tunnels to the source of food. Detection of termites is usually by locating these mud tunnels rising from the ground into the affected structure. This takes an expert eye. The best way to protect your home against termite attack is with a combination of prevention and inspection. |
