Super Termites - Now as far South as Rockhampton

[austini]

Hi Gang,

Did any of you see the story on Today Tonight about the Super Termites that are progressively moving south due to the increasingly warmer climate. They are now being found as far south as Rockhampton and expected to move further south over time. Supposeably these termites are 10 times more destructive than the more common termites and can literally destroy a house in days. Unfortunately as the story stated most the chemicals that were effective in killing termites have been banned. Most treatments now seem to be aimed at creating a barrier. So given the termites are not destroyed they move on to the house nearest by that doesn't have a barrier treatment.

Termites are one of the greatest problems for property owners as in the vast majority of cases you can't insure against them. So perhaps if you haven't had your property(s) inspected for termite infestation for awhile then it would be worth doing so.

Cheers - Gordon

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

The main reason many chemicals are ineffective against termites is because they only kill the exposed termites.

Unless you kill the Queen, the hive survives (to implant more eggs, jump on your face and rip out of your chest. Opps, wrong movie). The best option is to get a pro to do it.

 

[Scout]

Damned termites. One of our local termite experts when they last inspected my PPOR was nice enough to show me how to do my own inspection to save calling them out every year. Even so, inspecting the house is like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted, and updating the barrier every 5 years or so is not something I relish since I don't enjoy the thought of living in the middle of a chemical pond.

With super termites heading south, that will be fantastic news for the termite business. I"m in the process of planning the construction of my new PPOR, and it will not have a sliver of timber in it, apart from my furniture.

With termite problems getting worse, or so it would appear, I don't understand why we still build timber frames! For an extra $3000 or so, the same house can be built using steel frame. What's $3000 for peace of mind and less chemicals around the house?

I hate termites!

 

[Macca]

Hi Scout,

Even if you use steel frame the the rotten little b.......s will eat the cardboard off the back of Gyprock type products

I suppose it is better than your house falling down around your ears

 

[Brenda Irwin]

Do termites have much of a taste for hardwood timber, or is it just a pine fettish?

 

[the_captain]

Chest of Drawers

Hey Brenda,

I believe that Termites do have a favourite delicacy and that is Radiata pine. They prefer softer wood first, before they will move on to hard wood. There are timbers that are termite resistent such as merbau (spelling) and others........but these will just take longer to eat then pine.

I remember reading about a chest of drawers made from 8 different timbers that was left in a garrage and the backs of the drawers being eaten out, but the rest being left alone. I can only find this on some commercial termite sites.......and not the CSIRO.

But check out the CSIRO, they have done some good research around termite and termite protection.

 

[the_captain]

I managed to find this link

http://www.termidtecta.com/how.htm

Note I am not affiliated with this company in any way and have not used their products........it certainly sounds interesting though.....so long as the research stacks up.

 

[Kingbrown]

I can report that here in Perth termites go for the hardwood as well (Jarrah).

 

[madmurf]

I can report that here in Perth termites go for the hardwood as well (Jarrah).[
I remember leaving a small block of pine on a Jarrah fence post. The termites went through the Jarrah post to get to the pine. All gone in about a week.
In WA. If you have a standard type house with hard plaster, double brick and a steel frame roof, then bathroom and kitchen cabinets are your only worry.

 

[Goldminer]

Termites eat hardwood as well

Last weekend i noticed some redgum sleepers for sale at a garden supply place. On closer inspection i noticed that they had termites in them. Feel sorry for the person thats going to buy them. A mates uncle use to replace railway sleepers on the Victorian railway network and he said termites are a major problem over the entire rail network.

 

[dags]

this is a baiting system that attacts the nasties then wipes out the whole nest.
Baits are inspected every month for up to a year if needed.

http://www.exterra.com.au/