Easy Steps To Prevent And Treat Termites

Easy Steps To Prevent And Treat Termites

Queensland is the perfect breeding ground for termites due to warm weather conditions that bring about high humidity. terrible flodding and record rainfalls supplied the optimal condition this year for termites to boom and explode in numbers. The conditions in Queensland were perfect.

Termites exist all around the world  and have become masters at finding a food source and systematically devouring that source to keep the existence of the colony going. The whole termite colony has very specific jobs to do and they go about these jobs with machine like precision.

Termites do need 3 things in order to survive and they are water, food and shelter Most termites live in tropical or subtropical regions. In Queensland the further north you travel the higher the humidity gets. Termites are in higher numbers closer to the coast where they thrive in the warm humid conditions.

As most of Queensland’s major cities are coastal this is where we see the largest termite invasions and the most damage. Termites swarm mostly during Summer which is a sure sign that a termite colony is near by. The swarmers leave the original nest to set up new colonies. The following information wil help you to detect, prevent and treat termites if necessary. Termite treatment Gold Coast is a must however if termites are detected.

Detecting Termites

You must first recognise the signs of termites. Looking for signs of termites is the first thing you can do to look after your home. Homeowners should lookout for mud tubes leading up to and over the edge of concrete slabs, stumps and foundations. Also keep an eye out for any dried mud in the joins of doors, architraves and moulding as termites love to build their mud tunnels where they are not in plain sight. If you see blistering paint on woodwork that can be an indication that termites have eaten the wood beneath and left only a thin layer of paint. Check damp areas and look out for any moisture stains on walls. Any type of bulging of floor boards or walls and splintering of timber could all point to termites.

So what can Queensland homeowners do to stay vigilant and protect their homes from these silent and sneaky termite invaders?

Preventing Termites

To prevent termite entry you have to make sure that your home and yard are free of anything that might appeal to termites and also keep things clean and tidy so in case they do show up you can easily see them. The following list are just a few things to keep in mind to do your part in preventing termites in the first place.

Keep your home clean from any rubbish, debris and timber lying around. Don’t store firewood or have any timber, dead branches and building materials lying directly on the ground around your yard. Store firewood or timber by raising it off the ground on a metal stand or on a concrete slab. This way if termites do make a tunnel to get to your stored timber at least you can see them and stop them in their tracks before they get into your house.

Keep gardens tidy by removing any thick overgrown plants from around your home. Thick vegetation creates areas of intense moisture which attracts termites.

Any building done around your home such as retaining walls, decks, pergolas, garden beds, fences, in fact any timber structures must be built using treated timber. For pergolas and decks use metal supports for the posts. These metal supports are then bolted to concrete, the timber posts are fitted to the supports keeping timber off the ground.

All vents to sub floor areas must remain unblocked to encourage airflow and keep the sub floor dry.

If your house is built on a concrete slab then make sure the edge of the slab is visible at all times as well as the weep holes. So whilst garden beds might look nice it’s a bad idea to build them up against house walls. It makes it impossible to see the edge of the slab and if it’s covering weep holes then it’s a direct entry point for termites.

Garden mulch actually attracts termites. It provides them with a food source and because it’s not usually far from your house the termites will graduate from mulch to house prettuy quickly. There are mulches available that aren’t made of wood chips or bark.

You may have noticed metal termite shields that are found around the foundations of houses. They are designed to force termites out into the open but they need to be monitored and musn’t be damaged.

Termites need water and moisture attracts them. Any leaking taps, pipes or water that pools up around your home are all invites to the termites. Fix any leaks and drainage problems to prevent this problem.

Look out for any cracks or holes aropund the foundation of your home and seal them. Termites only need an entry point as thick as a piece of paper.

Finally the best preventative thing all homeowners can do is to get your home inspected for termites annually. It is better to have the peace of mind with an annual check. It’s a lot cheaper to have regular inspections than to discover a damaging infestation and not only have to have a complete treatment but have to rebuild and repair any damage. It is not uncommon for termites to completely destroy homes to the point of needing a total rebuild.

Treating Termites

Once termites are discovered it’s crucial to get them treated. There are a few different methods in achieving this but by far the best is using a non repellant chemical barrier. A non repallant barrier has the advantage of allowing the termites to move back and forth through the barrier as they can’t detect it’s there and pick up a lethal dose which will either kill them or be taken back and passed around the colony.

The one thing about termites is that they are resistant. That is why trying to treat them yourself simply won’t work in the long run. If you do succeed in removing them from one spot they will appear somewhere else. As a colony they have invested too much time, sometimes years in establishing themselves and finding a massive food source (your house) to just retreat. They will find other ways into your house.

That is why getting a professional termite control specialist to properly treat the whole perimeter of your house is the only way. They know what they are doing and are the only ones that can use the best product on the market for eradicating termites and that’s Termidor. Termidor can only be purchased by licensed pest controllers in Queensland. Termite Control Gold Coast and termite Inspections Gold Coast can only be carried out by licensed pest controllers. They also specialise in termites Brisbane and service all areas throughout both cities. Please visit Termites Gold Coast for more information about how you can take control over termites.

 

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