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Termites information

Termites (or 'white Ants' as they are often called) are not ants. Termites have a highly developed social organization, which, in many ways, resembles that of the ants and bees. All known species live in colonies, numbering from a few hundred to millions.

In each colony there is a division of labour, with several distinct castes, each specializing in a particular activity. The great majority of termites in Australia live in the soil. In fact, they depend on the soil and its associated moisture content for survival. Those species that live in the soil, are known as subterranean termites,and usually do not attack sound dry wood, preferring damp, damaged timber.

A few species are capable of attacking sound, seasoned wood out of contact with the ground and are known as "dry wood" termites. Drywood termites are mostly confined to the coastal regions.

Termites' diet consists mostly of cellulose, which is obtained from a variety of sources such as living trees, seasoned timber, books, grasses, etc. Termites attack untreated wood, and usually by the time their work is visible, the timber is virtually eaten away.

Subterranean termites gain entry in homes and buildings in a number of ways e.g.

• By constructing mud tubes over concrete stumps
• By tunneling up the centre pipe of wooden stumps Constructing mud tubes from the soil to the flooring within cavity walls
• Through hairline cracks which appear in concrete slabs around plumbing and electrical conduits.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I FIND TERMITES

DO NOT PANIC.... Termite control is effective. Termite activity is usually first noticed in the pine mouldings around the doors and windows. Early identification and treatment will prevent major structural damage. DON'T PANIC... seek our professional advice.

DO NOT DISTURB THEM.... It is necessary to treat Termites that have not been disturbed to successfully eradicate the colony nest. Termites live and work in a colony like bees. The main nest is usually located under the ground. Worker Termites treated in the building will carry the treatment back to the main nest and infect all the other Termites thus killing all of its mates and the colony is destroyed.

Termites are difficult to treat BUT... all you need is a Termite Specialist.

Call Dukes Pest Management Solutions.... It is important that you seek professional advice from our experts. We know you're worried, so we will come quickly to asses the problem and develop a treatment proposal that suits your needs and budget. Our Termite specialists are TAFE qualified government licensed, highly experienced and above all caring and sincere.

You can have peace of mind knowing that our quality assurance standards ensure your treatment is effective and the safest possible job. You can have confidence in Dukes Pest Management Solutions

Choose Dukes Pest Management Solutions.... Because you will experience something special... people who are experts in their field, happy and delighted to give you the advice and friendly service that you expect from true professionals. No pushy sales people trying to scare you ... no keen amateurs... no new trainees. At Dukes we have Termite Specialists who will be on your job from start to finish... BECAUSE WE CARE!!!

INSPECTIONS

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.

F.A.Q.'s

(Q) Everything looks OK, how do I know if I have termites?

(A) You may not see any sign 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.

(Q) How are you different to other pest management companies?

(A) We are environmental pest controllers with special training in this field. We are committed to making a difference and our focus is on risk reduction. Unlike other companies, we put your health and environment first.

(Q) If you don't use chemical sprays, what do you use and does it work?

(A) We design a pest management strategy that focuses on non-chemical controls. The strategy will be designed specifically for your problems and needs. We may use localised low-hazard treatments for certain pests.

(Q) What's the first step?

(A) The first step is a thorough, detailed, systematic inspection of your home.

(Q) How long does it take?

(A) Depending on the site, the first inspection for timber pests will take around 2 to 3 hours.

(Q) Will I get value for money?

(A) 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.

(Q) Will I have to leave the house during the inspection?

(A) Not usually. Most work can be undertaken with you at home.

(Q) What pests do you deal with?

(A) Pests are simply creatures in the wrong place at the wrong time. We have on-site action plans for termites, borers, cockroaches, ants, rodents, spiders, fleas, silverfish etc.

(Q) I'm building a new house, or extending my current house. What should I do to keep termites out of my new home?

(A) 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.

Sub terrain Termites in Australia

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 on 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 known to destroy the wall and roofing timbers of a home within 3 months of construction.
Termites cause more damage to homes in Australia than fire, floods, storms and tempest, combined.
Home insurance does NOT cover the repair costs of damage caused by termites to a home or commercial building.
Termites occur throughout Victoria, with a high incidence of attack in virtually all urban areas.

Termites are small in size (about half the size of match-head) and soft bodied insects. They build a central colony nest from which they construct underground tunnels that radiate in a 100 metre radius from a central colony nest in search of a timber (cellulose) food source.

Termites often build above ground nests, where moisture collects in the wall cavity, from leaking pipes, shower recess, guttering, etc.

Termites travel in mud shelter tubes as protection from predators, sun-burn and dehydration. Termites maintain a high humidity environment which is essential for their survival.

Termites are highly secretive, preferring to enter a building through areas inaccessible to inspection, such as, through in-fill patios, fire heaths, expansion joints and cracks in concrete slab (on-ground) flooring.

Termites can pass through a 2 mm crack or an expansion joint (eating through the rubber compound) between adjoining concrete on ground flooring. They can also travel under parquetry and floor tiles to get to the wall framing timbers.

Only the worker termite caste can digest timber by the use of symbiotic protozoa in their gut. Worker termites feed their partly digested semi-liquid food, regurgitated from their mouth or passing from their anus, to the other termites, a process known as trophallaxis.

Termites have a well ordered social system with amazing engineering capabilities and an acute survival instinct; they obtain moisture from the soil and moist decaying timber, and communicate using pheromone signals.

The mutual feeding, constant grooming and close social habits of termites are used to advantage in modern termite control baiting systems.

Certain hi-tech termite baits recently introduced on the Australian market from the USA have a delayed lethal effect on termites which readily pass on the bait to other termites in the central colony nest during the mutual grooming and feeding.

Subterranean termites need to maintain a high level of humidity and temperature (25 to 35c) in their central colony nest.

Within a termite nest there are members of different castes, each with a different role to perform. These include the queen, king, the winged reproductive (young kings and queens), soldiers and workers.

The queen following her hazardous flight and after mating becomes an egg laying machine; her body becomes hugely enlarged; she can live more than 25 years producing more that 2,000 eggs a day.

The king and queen live in a central chamber and are tended by the workers.

If you have a problem with Termites, Dukes Pest Management Solutions can help you! Contact us today for more information.

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