What you need to know about termites?

Termites can cause extensive damage to your home, and property owners are often unaware of their presence until the damage has been done. The termites enter via subterranean highways, which are often concealed inside timbers or wall cavities. They damage timber and any cellulose-based products, such as cardboard boxes, paper, carpet backing and even wine labels.

Termites are commonly called white ants, although this is misleading, as they are not related to ants.

If you suspect that you have found active termites on your property, call ANT-EATER Pest Control immediately and a qualified technician can assess the problem, identify the species and offer the best treatment options for your situation.

PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB them, or spray them with household insecticides, as this will only kill a few and possibly drive them into a more concealed location.

Call ANT-EATER Pest Control Sydney 1800 667 378 for advice over the phone.

Click here to view some termites in action.

Subterreanean termite identification Termite vs. Ant

Termite Soldier	Termite Worker	Termite Damage	Termite Mudding

Tips to reduce the risk of termite attack

Here are some tips to reduce the risk of termite attack.

1. Building alterations or additions can alter or render ineffective previous termite protection.
   
   Adding a pergola, new awnings or veranda, concrete slab extensions, or even new plumbing can provide a route of entry for termites into the property across the termite protection barrier previously applied.


2. Where a house is a concrete slab on ground construction, leave a minimum of 75mm of slab edge exposed.
   
   Weep holes in between brickwork, found immediately above the slab, should also be left exposed. If you construct gardens, allow soil to be deposited above the edge of the slab, or above pavers over the slab face, termites can gain entry undetected into your property and breach the previously applied termite barriers.


3. Remove stored timber, debris and cellulose materials from around the property and under the house.
   
   Storing timber against or under your house or property on a soil sub-floor, will provide an attractive food source and nesting site for subterranean termites. Remove any timber and/or debris and store it away from the house.


4. Ensure that termite shielding is not damaged or breached in any way.
   
   Metal strips or ant caps around the foundation of your home do not prevent termite entry but force termites out into the open where they can be detected with regular inspection.


5. Repair leaking taps and pipes under or around the property.
   
   These include leaking taps, pipes and hot water overflow pipes under or around your home. Repairing these will reduce moisture levels, which attract subterranean termites to nest close to or under your property.


6. Ensure that vents to sub-floor areas are never blocked.
   
   Substandard ventilation in the sub-floor areas of your property will result in high humidity, and high moisture levels. Good ventilation and extraction fans where necessary are essential to reduce the risk from subterranean termites.


7. Use only timbers treated for termites in garden beds or retaining walls.
   
   Do not use untreated timbers to form garden beds or retaining walls, as these will attract termites around your property.


8. Construct timber fences and support posts with a 50mm clearance between the timbers and the soil.
   
   Often the bases of timber fence palings and/or sub-floor timbers breach the soil surface. This allows termites access without detection.


9. Don’t allow climbing plants or bushy gardens to grow against the structure.
   
   Climbing plants growing against the side of the structure of your property provide termites with entry undetected.
   
   The roots of some plants can also penetrate the foundations of your property allowing termites access that is very difficult to locate. Allow at least a 30cm clearance. Plant trees notorious for sending roots under slabs well away from your home.


10. Remove dead trees or stumps. Dead trees and stumps are ideal sites for termites to nest in. Remove these or have them treated to reduce the risk to your property.

For more information on protecting your property from termites visit timber.org.au

Termites species native to Sydney

CSIRO scientists estimate that there are about 350 termite species in Australia. Most species occur in the hotter parts of the country, with more than 100 species occurring in the Top End of the Northern Territory. It’s been established that the great majority of termites fall into one of four groups:

• Wood-eaters
• Soil-eaters
• Debris-feeders (which eat plant litter and dung)
• Harvesters (which cut down living grasses and herbs).

Only about half a dozen of the termites are serious pests to Sydney homes.

A survey of hundreds of houses in New South Wales in the 1980s showed that about one in five houses had active wood-eating termites around or had had a problem with termites in the past.

For Sydney property owners there are three species that particularly destructive in Sydney metropolitan area and can cause many thousands of dollars in damage to Sydney homes and property. There are other termite species that cause economic damage but these are three of the most destructive. All can be identified by its soldier caste, its size and nesting habits. All are subterranean, which means they normally live below ground

• coptotermes acinaciformis
• coptotermes frenchi
• schedorhinotermes intermedius

Other common species which can cause moderate to extensive damage are:

• nasutitermes walkeri
• nasutitermes exitiosis
• heterotermes ferox

Other species of termites:

Dampwood species are also common to wet areas. 2 of these are:

• neotermes insularis
• porotermes adamsoni

Drywood species are rarely found. The main species being:

• cryptotermes brevis

How ANT-EATER Pest Control solves termite problems

Do you have a problem now?

Every day you wait can make termites harder to eradicate. Contact ANT-EATER Pest Control Sydney to make your home termite free.

Our highly qualified professionals have an in-depth knowledge of termites that infest your home or property, their habits and the methods of treatment required to control them.

Our team will assess your termite problem and carry out the right treatment for your property and situation.

ANT-EATER Pest Control uses several methods to protect your property from termites and develops the right solution depending on a number of factors and these include:

• Level of termite infestation
• Type of termite attacking your property
• The type of property construction
• Previous history of termite attack

ANT-EATER Pest Control provide their services in compliance with the Australian standard for termite management.

How ANT-EATER solves termite problems?

ANT-EATER Pest Control’s highly trained professionals can provide effective and lasting protection from termites. This is done using some of the latest highly effective termite control products registered for use in Australia.

Termite Baiting Program

What is it?

Bait	Monitor	Eliminate

How does it work?

• Baiting stations are strategically installed around your property where termites are likely to forage for food.
• The termite workers feeding on the bait take it back to the colony to feed other colony members including the queen and developing young. The colony will be eliminated; however, this can take several months depending on the time of year, geography, the number of termites and termite species.
• Once the colony is gone other termite colonies may forage in the area so our ANT-EATER Pest Control technicians will continue to monitor the stations.

ANT-EATER Pest Control are authorised and accredited to use all currently registered Termite Baiting and Monitoring Systems, such as: Termite Control Systems IE, Exterra, Nemesis and Sentricon which all utilise the natural behaviour of termites and turn it against themselves.

Termite Building Inspection

An annual termite inspection is one of the best investments you can make to give yourself peace-of-mind that your Sydney home is not the current “restaurant of the month” for termites.

A large termite colony can cause a significant amount of damage within 12 months and more regular inspections may be warranted in areas of higher termite risk. These include bushland and /or large trees in close proximity to the house or a history of ongoing termite problems.

Termite inspections can be referenced in the Australian Standard™ AS 3660.2 – 2000 'Termite Management Part 2: In and around existing buildings and structures – guidelines, and AS 4349 Part 3 Timber Pest Inspections.

Do you want to prevent future problems?

Our service is the best way to keep termites out of your property, protecting your investment.

Our team will assess risk areas and carry out the right treatment for your property and situation.

Should reinfestation of the pest treated occur, a further inspection and necessary treatment will be offered free of charge within the service warranty period. All pest treatments carried out by ANT-EATER Pest Control are documented and come with a no nonsense service warranty (unless stated).

Liquid Barrier Treatment

What is it?

Trenching	Application	Restoration

How does it work?

• ANT-EATER Pest Control creates a treated zone around your home or structure.
• As termites tunnel towards your property in search of food they come in contact with the treated zone.
• Depending on the product used once in contact the termites either die or contaminate other termites which may carry some of the termite control product back to the nest impacting the termite colonies population.

Liquid Barrier Treatments do not aim to eliminate the termite colony but protect the structure that they surround. ANT-EATER Pest Control technicians will assess the suitability for this type of treatment to your property.

Keep termites from invading your home or property. Call ANT-EATER Pest Control and find out how.