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Termite is the
common name of a
group of
chemically
complex insects
that live in
communities as
ants do. They
have long been
known as white
ants however
this is not
entirely
accurate for
termites are
like ants only
in their habits
of living
together and
that they are
small in size.
Actually
termites are
more closely
related to
cockroaches and
grasshoppers.
Their mouth parts, antennae, thick waists, primitive
wings and other features resemble those of
cockroaches. Termites are found almost all
over Australia. Some termites build huge mounds of
bits of soil mixed with wood saliva. These nests may
be 6 metres high. The inside of the mound is divided
into various chambers and galleries. In the centre
is a closed cell where the queen is kept. The
queens’ body goes under extraordinary change. Her
body swells up to hold thousands of eggs. The queen
lays the eggs at the rate of several thousand a day.
Studies in the U.S. have revealed
that termites cause as much property damage each year as
fire does.
Termites digest wood , paper , and
other material containing cellulose, with aid of
protozoain their bodies. They do much damage in
tunnelling through the wood work of houses destroy books
and furniture , and do great damage by tunnelling
through fence posts, trees, timbers of wooden buildings,
bridges ,trestles , and other structures. In houses they
eat , cloth furniture, books and paper.
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A termite inspection is an inspection
of the building and property including roof void,
sub-floor, internal and external timbers, and trees and
fences within the property boundaries.
It deals with the detection or
non-detection of live termite activity, and evidence of
termite damage, and includes details of areas of risk.
A pre-purchase inspection should be
carried out before a property is purchased, and is an
inspection of the building and property including roof
void, sub-floor, internal and external timbers, and
trees and fences within the property boundaries.
It deals with the detection or non-detection of live
termite activity, borer activity, timber decay, chemical
delignification, and evidence of damage caused by these
pests and includes details of areas of risk. |
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Everything looks OK, how do I know if I have termites?
 You may
not see any signs of termites until it's too late. The
only way you can be really sure you don't have termites
is to have an annual Timber Pest Inspection by a
qualified timber pest inspector.
What's
the first step?
The
first step is a thorough, detailed, systematic
inspection of your home.
How
long does it take?
Depending on the site, the first inspection for timber
pests will take between 1 and 1.5 hours
Will I
get value for money?
What is
your home worth? Can you afford to not give your home a
yearly safety check. It's a critical part of maintaining
your home. Contact our office for a free phone/email
quotation.
Will I
have to leave the house during the inspection?
Not
usually. Most work can be undertaken with you at home.
I'm
building a new house, or extending my current house.
What should I do to keep termites out of my new home?
There
are many options available for minimizing the risk of
termite entry into your new home or renovation. It will
depend largely on the construction of your property and
we will recommend the best options for your specific
circumstance. The methods that we recommend may include
physical barriers, chemical barriers and combinations to
ensure that you have the best protection available.
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Termites are the
only members of
the insect order
Isoptera. They
are commonly
known as “White
Ants”.
However termites
are not even
closely related
to ants. Ants
have eyes, a
constricted
waist and dark
bodies, whereas
most worker and
solder termites
are blind, have
no constriction
and are creamy
in colour.
There are more
than 300 species
found in
Australia but
only about 30
could be
considered to be
pests of timber
in service. Of
these, the
subterranean
termites are the
most
significant,
with about 12
species being
serious pests.
The termite diet
is centred
around
cellulose-based
materials.
These can
include the
timber used in
constructing
buildings but
could also
include
furniture, paper
materials and
fabrics. These
termites can
also damage
non-cellulose
materials such
as polystyrene
and plasterboard
or the plastic
coatings on
electrical
wiring. |
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Alates |
| Termites are social insects and live
in colonies containing a number of different castes.
Each caste has a different form and function from the
others; each is vital to the viability of the colony.
In general terms the life history of all the
economically important subterranean species is similar. |
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On a warm,
humid evening large numbers of winged male and
female termites, the “alates” or “primary
reproductives”, are released by the colony.
A small number survive the flight, drop their
two parts distinctive, equal sized wings, pair
off, mate, and if they can find a suitable
location, start a new colony.
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The Queen |
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As the other
castes take over the running of the colony the
young queen of most species becomes “physogastric”
– her abdomen distends to many times its
original size and she becomes an egg laying
machine, laying up to 1000 eggs per day.
She is confined to her royal chamber, tended and
fed by the workers and regularly fertilised by
the male reproductive.
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| Nursery |
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The eggs are
removed from the royal chamber and transferred
to a nursery by the workers. Here the
brood (the eggs and nymphs) develop into the
other castes that the colony requires for
development and survival; workers,
soldiers and primary or secondary reproductives.
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Social Workers |
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Soldiers and
workers are blind and sterile termites.
The workers carry out the work of the colony and
are responsible for gathering the food the
colony needs. In most species, the heads
of the soldiers are uniquely armoured and
equipped to allow them to defend the colony
against attack, notably ants.
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Coptotermes |
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Coptotermes
acinaciformis is found throughout mainland
Australia and causes more damage to property
than any other species. It is aggressive
in its search for food and will attack many
items other than wood in its search for
cellulose materials. It will damage
wall lining boards, electrical wiring and even
personal possessions. Colonies often nest
in trees or stumps but can form nests without
ground contact.
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Nasutitermes
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There are several species
of Nasutitermes which may damage timber in
service. Soldier termites of these species
are distinguished by their pointed heads.
Nasutitermes exitiosus usually builds a low
mound and is more common across Southern
Australia. Nasutitermes walkeri builds
part of its colony as a nest on the branch of a
tree; the rest is constructed in the ground
beneath it. This genus will mainly attack
hardwood such as that found in fences and timber
decking.
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Mastotermes |
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Mastotermes
darwiniensis, the Giant Northern Termite, is the
most primitive of the commercially significant
species. It shows an ability for
sub-colonies to split from the main colony and
produce queens, without a mating flight.
Eventually a network of interconnecting
sub-colonies is established, which makes control
difficult. These large termites can
devastate buildings, bridges, poles, trees and
crops such as sugarcane. Mastotermes
is found mainly north of the Tropic of
Capricorn.
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Schedorhinotermes |
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These
termites can cause damage approaching the
severity caused by Coptotermes. They
build fragile nests in places such as old tree
trumps, in timber buried in the ground, in
filled patios and under fireplaces. The
damage they cause is distinctive.
Although it can be severe it is often patchy,
with huge gouges taken out of sound timber,
particularly around nails in floor boards or
other timbers. Schedorhinotermes colonies
contain major and minor soldiers.
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Heterotermes |
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Heterotermes
spp. Are a significant structural pest through
Queensland, northern WA and the NT.
It is only in southern Australia where they are
a minor nuisance. They are generally
considered to do little damage to timber in
service, restricting their attention to
weathered timber fences, decking and posts.
Occasionally they can cause superficial damage
to sound timber.
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Termite Nest |
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Termites
build a nest that contains the queen and king,
the nursery and a large proportion of the
soldiers and workers. Some species build a
hard-shelled mound above or partly below the
ground. Others build their nests in the
trunk of a tree or below ground in the root
crown. A nest can contain several million
termites.
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Nesting Habits |
The nesting
habits of
subterranean
termites can be
described in two
basic groups:
1. Multi-site
nesters
(Heterotermes,
Schedorhinotermes,
Mastotermes)
2. Central-site
nesters
(Coptotermes,
Nasutitermes)
Multi-site
nesters utilise
many timber
sources for
nesting and they
can move quickly
to a new food
source. They are
able to
reproduce
quickly using “ergatoid”
or multiple
reproductive
forms so each
new timber
source located
becomes a
potential nest.
These species
can therefore
set up multiple
colonies within
the same house.
Central-site
nesters
generally have
one large queen
and a central
nest position.
The activity of
the colony is to
bring back food
to this nest.
They can infest
multiple timber
food sources but
cannot reproduce
within those
timbers. When a
moisture source
is available
within a house
structure,
central-site
nesters often
establish their
colony inside
the building
without any
ground contact.
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Foraging
behaviour |
Central-site
nesters show
definite
seasonal
variation with
their foraging
behaviour.
Generally,
foraging
activity is
greater in the
warmer months
and reduced in
cooler winter
periods. The
available
moisture can
also limit the
foraging
activity of
these species.
Generally
distant food
sources show
greater foraging
activity in
warmer periods
and food sources
close to the
nest are more
active in the
cooler months.
Multi-site
nesters do not
have the same
restrictions as
they can move
their nest to
adjacent food
sources. This
type of foraging
activity often
leads to
splitting of one
colony into
several distinct
colonies within
the same area.
The activity of
these species
quickly
multiplies in a
disturbed
environment such
as recently
cleared land or
fire damaged
property.
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Termite leads |
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Termites are
prone to
desiccation. All
significant
species that
attack buildings
construct a
system of sealed
leads that
connect the nest
to the food
sources.
Termites can
move safely from
the nest to the
food and back,
in an
environment that
will protect
them against
exposure to
atmospheric
conditions,
predators and
even pesticides.
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Damage to timber
and other
materials |
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Timber is the
main source of
cellulose sought
by the
commercially
important
species.
Sometimes other,
non cellulosic
materials are
damaged because
they are close
to feeding
activity.
Electrical
wiring, switches
and plug
fittings are
often attached
and severely
damaged by
termites. When
natural food
supplies such as
trees run out,
the termites
will turn to
timber in
service. Using
covered mud
tunnels to link
the food supply
to the nest,
termites will
work in timbers
that are hidden
in floor, wall
or ceiling
spaces and the
damage is often
not discovered
until structural
failure takes
place or the
termites reveal
themselves in
some way.
Termites can
cause extensive
damage and more
than one colony
may attack a
building at the
same time.
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In
order to
minimise the
extent of
termite damage
it is
recommended that
regular
inspections be
carried out by a
competent and
experienced
termite
inspector. |
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Thermal Imaging is the latest technology for the
detection of termites in your home. With the aid of a
thermal imaging camera, the operator can visualize surface
temperature variables down to 0.05 of a degree whist displaying
a black and white image of a property's concealed cavities and
show the skeletal make up of ceiling frames, trusses, noggins,
studs, top and bottom plates and floor beams.
This further allows the operator to
visualise any irregularities in and around the
property's skeletal frame work enhancing the detection
of live termite nestings, entry points, dormant nests
and timber damage.
If you have concerns about your home and
the possibility of termite invasion, then thermal
imaging will look beyond what the human eye can see and
give you a positive determination on whether you have
termites or not. The pictures below show how the
camera works for you.
| Heat being radiated from termite
activity |
Live activity in
bottom plate from same nest |
Nest broken into has
become cool and light glow has dispersed |
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 Termite
Monitors are used to detect the presence of termites in
places of likely infestation or where activity is
present.
There are several
differing types of monitors all with one basic aim,
which is to attract foraging termites into the station
to enable identification and treatment.
Antibug prefers to
rely on the tried and trusted Timber Bait Monitors,
which are posts of wood 100 x 100 x 300 millimetres. A
hole has been drilled down the centre of the bait and a
cork placed in the top. Removal of the cork enables easy
inspection and treatment of the monitor.
Termite attack to
building
Once placed termite
monitors behave like any other material buried in the
ground, it starts to break down. The simple answer to
the success of timber baits is the formation of mould in
the pre-drilled hole as termites find this very alluring
and will congregate in numbers.
Timber bait monitors
require a period of time to reach a level of
attractiveness usually 2-3 months in normal conditions,
at which time they are checked for activity.
 Here
is a picture of a bait with the cork removed that shows
the behaviour of termites in respect to the inspection
hole. As you can see a lot of work has gone into sealing
off the leaks under the cork. Once completed and after a
chemical signal from the nest, feeding will commence.
The introduction of
chemicals is then instigated with distribution around
the termite network being the desired outcome.
After 2-3 weeks the
monitors are checked for signs of remaining activity and
are then removed or replaced as required.
NB
It has to be stated that Timber Bait
Monitors are only one tool in the arsenal of weapons
used to combat termites and should not be relied upon
solely to protect your property.
They must always be installed in
conjunction with a regular inspection program and a Pest
Control Operator should administer any chemical
application. |
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CAMILLERI
UNDER SLAB
INJECTION SYSTEM
THE INSTALLATION
PROCESS
(please
click on the photos to view full size)
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| After
viewing the floor plan and determining our plan of
attack, measure and mark the place in the sand where
we intend to lay the pipe. As the chemical spread
each side of our pipe will be 250mm, we then need to
start our marks 250mm from the end of our footings
and then at 500mm centres |
Start
running out the pipe, making sure that when you peg
down, the perforations are pointing uppermost |
Seal the innermost end
of the pipe by inserting the stopper |
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| Use steel
pegs to hold the pipe in place |
Leave a
little of the pipe protruding under the footings at
the outermost end and cut. |
All pipes laid |
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| When all
these pipes are laid, we install our pipe on the
wall of the footing trench, making sure in this case
that the perforations are pointing in towards where
the water vapour membrane would be running and that
is, up the footing wall. This pipe is, of course,
for the perimeter spray. |
When this is
completed, we connect all our feeder pipes (pipes
with no perforations), to all our inlet points and
direct them back to the valve box. |
Connect feeders to the
header valve |
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| Place valve
box over header and back fill |
When the
dwelling is fully erected, we hook up to our
injection point and pump termiticide through our
pipes individually by turning on each tap in turn. |
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