A homeowners worst nightmare, termites cause destruction and damage throughout thousands of homes every year.  

There are roughly 300 different types of termites, around 30 of which are timber pests that could damage your home.  

The most destructive are subterranean termites.  Local species of subterranean termites include Coptotermes, Nasutitermes, Mastotermes, Schedorhinotermes and Heterotermes.

Often incorrectly referred to as white ants, termites are actually completely different to ants.  They differ from ants in four main features:  

• Ants have elbowed antennae whereas termites have bead like antennae.
• Ants have compound eyes while termites have no eyes.
• Ants have a constriction between the thorax and the abdomen while termites don’t.
• Termites are lighter in colour than ants, being sandy white in colour.

A soldier termite

Termite Control

A termite chemical barrier along with regular timber pest inspections is the most effective way of protecting your home from termite attack.  However implementing a few steps can help ensure your home is a safe as possible.

• Termites are attracted to wood so removing all potential food sources will discourage termites.  Food sources include loose timber, old tree stumps, untreated landscaping timbers, sleepers and logs
• Where possible use treated timber for all situations where timber is in close contact with the ground (e.g. fences).
• Termites are greatly attracted to areas with high levels of moisture so ensure all downpipes, hot water and air conditioner overflows are connected to a drain.  
• Fix all leaking taps, showers and hoses to avoid the build-up of moisture.
• Termites prefer humid conditions so ensure the sub-floor is well ventilated and has proper drainage.
• Ensure all timber posts are in stirrups a minimum of 75mm above the ground.  This provides a physical barrier, whereby regular inspections will reveal any termite workings on the outside of the stirrup.
• All timber battens need to be cut back to 75mm above the ground level, this also provides a physical barrier where any termite workings or leads will be visible during an inspection.
• Check all ant capping, making sure none are defective, proper ant capping provides a physical barrier.

Termite Lifecyle

Alates
Large numbers of winged male and female termites are released from the colony on warm humid nights.  These are called Alates.  While you may see hundreds of these flying around, only a small number survive the flight.  These then drop their wings, find a mate, and if they can find a suitable location start a new colony.

Queen
The queens abdomen grows to many times its original size and she then becomes an egg laying machine, laying up to 100 eggs a day.  The queen is confined to her royal chamber and is tended to and fed by the workers and regularly fertilized by the king.

Nursery
The eggs are removed from the royal chamber and transferred to a nursery by the workers.  Here the eggs and nymphs develop into other castes that the colony requires for development and survival.

Soldiers and Workers
Soldiers and workers are blind and sterile termites.  They carry out all of the work for the colony and are responsible for gathering all food.  In most termite species, the heads of the soldiers are uniquely armoured and equipped to allow them to defend the colony against attack, often by ants.