Pestec are announced best pest control company for 2015/16

Pestec have been announced as the 2015 AEPMA Australian pest managers of the year. The small team at Pestec have worked tirelessly to ensure that all work is carried out to the highest standards and that the outcomes for our customers are paramount. This industry award shows that hard work and dedication to excellence pays off!

www.pestec.com.au

Termites in trees in Sydney

Because there are many national parks and bushland areas in and around Sydney the prevalence of termites that like to nest in trees is very high. It is a misconception held by the general public and also some members of the pest control community that termites that live in trees do not attack homes. This could not be further from the truth. In fact for the termites to live in the trees they must 1st excavate enough room inside the tree for their entire colony, this in itself should surely be enough evidence that termites eat timber. Houses are made from timber. 2+2=4
The termites that cause the most damage in the Sydney basin are a species that almost always lives inside of a tree. This species, Coptotermes are very prevalent. There is another species which is also known to nest on and sometimes in, trees, and that is Nasutitermes Walkeri, and these are the termite nests that you might see high up in a tree, they build large round or oval shaped mud nests. These nests are only half of the actual termite Colony with the other half of the colony being in a separate area underground. These termites to, can cause great deals of damage and have been known to damage a house to the point that it needs to be demolished.
If you have trees around or near to your property then it pays to have them checked when you have your annual termite inspection.

Hundreds of termites dead and alive in a bait station

This photograph of a termite bait station was taken after the termites had been feeding on the bait for eight weeks. In the top right hand corner of the station you can see masses of termites huddled together, these termites are all very near death as they have consumed plenty of the toxicant designed to eliminate the colony.
In the bottom left corner when you look closely you will find that many of the termites here are dead and there is a "pile" of termite heads that have been "dumped after the rest of the colony cannibilised them.

How to exterminate termites in Sydney

How do you exterminate termites?
Really the science behind termite extermination is very complex, for the layman a simplified explanation follows.
Termites have a complex colony structure (not unlike bees) where there is a King and Queen who are looked after by a multitude of members of the colony which is made up mostly of worker termites and then soldier termites.
The queen is arguably the most valuable member of the colony, and her job really only involves constantly laying eggs. A Queen termite can lay up to two thousand eggs a day. The Queen is very large when compared to the other members of the colony and needs twenty four hour care.
The worker termites are the ones that do the destructive damage to our homes, eating vast amounts of timber from within the structure. The workers transport the timber back to the colony and share it with the other members including the Queen. The workers are also responsible for foraging for new food sources, extending the nest, grooming each other and ensuring that there is enough moisture to keep the colony healthy.
The soldier termites as their name infers are the protectors of the colony ensuring that marauding ants and other insects are kept away and generally guarding the entrances and feeding sites.
So after that introduction to how a termite colony functions, how do we kill the colony?

There are several ways

1. Direct destruction of the colony. If you know where the colony is and can be sure that the Queen can be located, then destroying the colony by breaking it open and applying a permethrin based pesticide will kill the inhabitants. Be sure to kill the Queen because if she is missed then the colony will be rebuilt.
2. Apply a bait product to the termite activity, the termites will share it amongst the entire colony and eventually die. This process can take some significant time however is very worthwhile as it achieves success %100 of the time.
3. Apply a termite dust which will be inadvertently taken back to the colony by those termites who come into contact with it. This method can work well but the pitfall is that there is usually no evidence as to whether colony extermination has been achieved.

The advice is still to seek professional help whenever you believe that you may have located termites and to ensure that you have a professional carry out a termite inspection each twelve months.

Termite extermination in Sydney

Exterminating termites in Australia is known as termite control. Extermination is an often used word coming out of the USA which is not incorrect but little used in this country. Where we use the term termite control, termite extermination is fine to be inserted.
Now that we have got that out of the way, killing termites is a serious business. When termites are accessing your home by some out of the way subterranean route, no one can afford to try and carry out control measures themselves, it is too easy to mess up and the cost of messing up can be extreme termite damage to your home. Termite control should be left to the professionals and should always be carried out with the following in mind.

1. A termite inspection is necesary to enable the termite expert to be able to fully assess the situation and recommend the appropriate solution.
2. Termite colony control measures must be undertaken when live termites are found. It is of no use to carry out a preventative type treatment when the termites are still actively working in the building. It just does not work.
3. Preventative measures must be undertaken when colony control has been achieved, this may take the form of a chemical treated zone around the home or a "greener" monitoring system placed around the home. either way continual ongoing maintenance must be undertaken to ensure that a re-infestation cannot occur.

Termites can and often do nest in Trees

Termites live in a community where there are several castes that all live together and each termite relies upon others for its very existence. They are similar to many other communal species of insect in their need for shelter, food and water. Today I will discuss shelter, a site to house the entire colony. Depending upon the age of the colony they may need a cavity the size of a football or they may need one much larger. A mature Coptotermes spp termite nest can contain up to two million residents, not all of them will be at home at any one time as they are 24 hour shift workers, but this will still demand a large area in which to house those termites carrying out duties such as looking after the young, tending and protecting the Queen, and those that are distributing food.
Often an area of around .5 of a cubic metre is found to be the area that the colony is inhabiting.
All Termite colonies start from a humble beginning of just two residents, the King and Queen, at the start they do not require a very large home but as their colony grows they must provide a larger premises or risk not being able to keep a healthy colony. Initially the colony may be housed at the base of a small tree, underground and not taking up much space. As the colony grows the workers can start to hollow out the heartwood of the tree which is in fact dead timber. The heart wood is a perfect food source and as the termites excavate it they are in fact able to extend the colony to fit into the space.
Trees are by no means the only place that termites can nest, they will be opportunistic and nest in any area resembling a hollow tree. This may be a small area such as a wall cavity of a house, or a large area such as the sub floor area of a fully enclosed patio. As long as the termites are able to ensure that they will be able to keep high humidity, are relatively safe from marauding ants and other creatures and are within striking distance of food.