Protecting your home against termites

Termites maybe small but the risk they pose to your home should not be underestimated. Of all the pests you are likely to encounter, termites have by far the greatest capacity to damage our homes. 

It’s said that each year 1 in 5 Australian homes suffer some form of termite attack, causing more damage than storms, floods and fires combined. 

Termites live in large colonies, sometimes with millions of individuals. Some build mounds above the ground; others build their homes below ground or in trees. They are extremely good at moving around without detection and often go undetected for long periods of time. The longer they go undetected the more damage they can cause!

Damage caused by termites is not covered under home and contents insurance which is why taking termite control measures for your home is so important!

What can I do to protect my home from termites?

Timber Pest Inspections

Firstly, having regular pest inspections is key when it comes to termites. Termites live underground and their entry into your home can often go unnoticed. For this reason, Consumer Protection recommends that you arrange for a licensed pest control technician to inspect your home at least once a year.

Even if you have an existing termite barrier in place it’s still important you have regular inspections, to ensure the barrier remains in place and hasn’t been compromised in any way.

Termite Treatments

 The best protection against termites is a full termite treatment to the perimeter of your home. At Termico we offer two types of chemicals when treating for termites; 

•    Repellent chemicals
These are easily detected and strongly avoided by termites, providing good protection for treated areas. Though if access prevents some areas being treated, or if treated areas are later compromised, termites can recognise the gaps and gain ingress through them.

Bifenthrin is the most commonly used repellent which has a residual life of up to 5 years.

•    Non-Repellent chemicals
These are not detected by termites. As they don’t avoid the chemical, they will pass through and die from contact with it.  Individual termites exposed to the chemical will also pass on the chemical to other members of the colony and cause a compounding effect. 

As termites don’t detect non repellents, they don’t recognise any difference between treated and untreated areas so ingress through possible gaps is far less likely.
                                                          
Fipronil is the most commonly used Non repellent which has a residual life of up to 8 years.

What things should I consider when choosing a pest control company to carry out my treatment and / or inspection?

•    Do a bit of research before selecting a company; look at customer reviews, get feedback from any friends / relatives that have had work carried out, check how long they have been in business for and feel free to ask them any questions you have! 

•    Ensure you are using a licensed pest control technician to carry out any treatments and inspections to your home. Be sure to ask the technician to produce his or her license before any service is carried out.

•    If a technician cannot gain proper access to the sub floor area or roof space, consider having additional inspection hatches or traps installed.

•    Ask for an assurance that any treatment against termites is necessary or advisable for your home and make certain that it will be carried out in accordance with the Australian Standard requirements.

•    Damaged caused by termites is not covered by home and contents insurance therefore look very closely at the terms of any written guarantee or warranty and check exactly what the small print actually covers - eg. does it cover replacement of any or all damaged timber or just structural timber? What about door frames, cupboards, vanities, furniture and furnishings? There is a growing tendency for 'guarantees' to cover no replacement at all, they just agree to a return visit to deal with any termite infestation or re-infestation.

•    Check that 'replacement' in any guarantee includes the cost of labour to remove and replace the timber - frequently it does not!

If you want to find out more about termites and / or getting your home inspected or treated, please feel free to contact the team at Termico Pest Management on 08 9443 9451.

We’re Perth’s leader in termite treatments and would be happy to answer any questions you have! 
 

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Call 9443 9451

Address: 25 Resource Way,
Malaga, Perth WA. 6090

Postal: PO Box 1756,
Malaga, Perth WA. 6944

Fax: (08) 9443 9881
Email: admin@termico.com.au 

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