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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Queen
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.
Nursery
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.
Social Workers
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.
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.
Nasutitermes
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.
Mastotermes
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.
Schedorhinotermes
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.
Heterotermes
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.
Termite Nest
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.
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.
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.
Termite leads
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.
Damage to timber
and other
materials
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.
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.
