Termite Advice for Home Owners in Sydney

The most unwanted pests out of all that enters your home is the subterranean termite. Each year termite damage more homes than both fire and storms combined. 1 in 3 homes will be attacked by termites. As termites forage for food below the soil, they often gain access to a home from the subfloor area, slab edge or timber structure attached to the house.

All ASSASSIN PEST CONTROL termite treatments are carried out in strict accordance to the Australian Standard AS 3660/2000. As current termite formulations are designed to be more friendly to the environment, they break down under normal environmental conditions.

The Termite treated zone should be reapplied every (5) years at the clients expense to ensure maximum protection to the property. As no property can ever be totally safe from termite attack a six (6) monthly maintenance program is recommended to continue the ASSASSIN PEST CONTROLS’ service warranty. The warranty covers a full inspection of the property and a written report is given notifying the client on the conditions of the subfloor, roof void and interior timbers for the presence of termites. The report also notifies of timber fence condition, subfloor moisture and ventilation and any other points that may be conducive to termite attack.

Here are some of the most common causes of termite attack to homes and some hints on how to minimise termites eating your valuable asset away from you:

The closer that the house is to the ground the higher the risk of termite attack.
The higher the exterior soil levels are the greater the termite risk. Therefore if the exterior soil, pavers, paths or gardens are above the slab level the termite risk is exceptionally high.
Contrary to popular belief, concrete slab constructions are far more susceptible to termite attack than suspended timber flooring homes built of the ground.
A steep slopping block adds greatly to the risk of termites as soil movement can provide termites with easier access into the building.
The more alternations/extensions a house has the greater the risk of termites due to joints between concrete slabs, engaged piers, foundations walls abutting together etc.
The more moisture there is in or around the house the greater the risk of termites. Improving subfloor ventilation can play a major part in reducing the risk of termite attack.

What can I do to reduce the risk of termites attacking my house?

Firstly an inspection to the property every six (6) months will increase the chance of detecting termite activity before they cause any major damage. This inspection will also ascertain whether or not there are conditions conducive to termite attack.
Remove all untreated timber from around the property including railway sleepers.
Rectify all drainage and plumbing leaks and areas of water build-up.
If your hot water system overflow pipe drips against the exterior wall, place a hose on the end to drain it away from the house or place a bucket under it to catch the drips. This is a major termite entry point.
If the house is on a concrete slab ensure the slab edge is visible all the way around the house. Any areas that are not are high risk areas.
If the house is on bearers and joists (suspended timber flooring), ensure the subfloor area is well ventilated and clear of any scrap timber and formwork.
All external levels should be well below the damp course level.
All external wooden structures should be built on steel stirrups, NO plants or vines should be allowed to grow up the timbers as it allows for a bridge for termites.
Avoid having timber fences, gates, garden sleepers, etc. contacting the house as this allows direct access for termites to your home.
When termites are located in a house built on a concrete slab the majority of the time the entry pint is found to be via the outer edge of the slab, not through the slab as often believed.
Nothing should ever be placed against the outer walls of a house as it may hold moisture and may provide termites with an unseen entry point.
All gardens should have a gap between the back of the garden and the house a line of pavers is an effective way of dividing the two and keeping moisture away from the slab or foundations.
Watering systems should be directed away from the house and water usage kept to a minimum.

Building Your New Home

When building your new home be sure to consult a pest management expert in the early stages of construction. A house that is low risk of termite attack on site may be a high risk on another. Any trees on the property should be investigated for termite activity before any earth works or tree removal. If these trees are felled and buried in fill, it can be impossible to locate and treat if activity arises. All trees to be removed should be entirely removed from the property roots and all.

Termites do not kill trees – Termites can assist in the growth of a tree as they return the nutrients and protein from the timbers that they attack in the soil and houses back to the nest within the trunk of the tree therefore providing the tree with all the nutrients, protein and moisture the tree needs to maintain good health.

Be sure a termite barrier treatment is carried out during construction, prior to the concreter slab being laid. This treatment alone will not give adequate protection against termite attack. On completion of construction a barrier must be placed around the external perimeter of the house. A house built with suspended timber flooring should have a good supply of air circulating below, this well reduce moisture build up, wood decay and fungal growth.

Buying an Established House

When buying a house it is important to ask questions. Try to find out as much as possible about the history of the house.

When was the house built?
Has the house been renovated?
Has the house had termites before?
Has the house been treated against future termite attack?
How extensive was the damage?
When was the house treated and by whom?
What sort of treatment was carried out and what chemicals were used?

Talk to neighbours to see if any other houses in the street have had termites. This information can be extremely useful in determining the future termite risk.

Before buying a house have it checked by a licensed pest management specialist. Do not be turned away from a house because it has had termites, if is has been properly treated the chance of reinfestation is very small and remember the house down the road that has never had termites is the one that could have them next month.

It is important not to try to treat them yourself as they may retreat to another area of the house making treatment more difficult. If specimens can be collected this will help in the proper identification which is important in determining the correct treatment procedures.

When treating for termites the main goal is to try and locate and destroy the nest, this can be done by the application of Premise Foam or Arsenic Dust introduced into the damaged timbers. If the termites are disturbed this opportunity may be lost resulting in further termite damage and more costly treatment.

ASSASSIN PEST CONTROL also offers other pest services such as:

Subfloor ventilation Spiders Termite Baiting
Rodent control Silverfish Wasps
Bird proofing Ants Borers
Stored product pests Mites Pre construction termite treatments
Possum control & proofing Cockroaches Bees
Carpet beetles Fleas