Termites are a big problem in Canberra and Queanbeyan and the need for the correct identification and understanding of the nature of this extremely cunning pest is critical to a successful eradication. A significant amount of patience and attention to detail is required when resolving this issue, as small errors can have big consequences.
City Pest Control has seen many clients who have taken the quick-fix approach to eliminating a termite colony. We have seen with our own eyes some leading control companies give false or illogical information which could not and will not complete an effective approach to termination.
There can be up to a million in a colony working 24/7, eating your precious lumber. It takes time to successfully eradicate all of them. They reproduce extremely quickly. Even when dying off, they can do quite a lot of damage to your home. And there are many kinds of termite species to account for. Only high quality tools can pinpoint the exact species and their characteristics.
Get in touch and we will give an honest assessment of the situation, as a local and family-owned business. We’ll ensure you are not taken for a ride with corporate talk or fly by night Pest Controllers who want the money but don’t care about long term effects to you or your home.
You can also visit our price page to see that we actually offer very affordable termite treatment as compared to other services. There are many termite species and they need to be correctly identified first before removal. We do this with the latest technology and significant expertise.
It’s REALLY BAD. Of all infestations, you really don’t want an infestation of termites. They devour wood at a rapid pace and this includes structural beams. There can be up to a million in a single colony and that is quite a large amount of waste material to deal with. In addition, they are quite difficult to actually treat as they are not out in the open and may be located a good distance away. But what really makes termites deadly is that you often do not know they are there. You don’t need a large colony of 1 million termites. All that is required is a small undiscovered colony of 2,000 or so termites. Within a few years, the wood can collapse. You may only find out about the termite infestation after the damage is done.
There are multiple issues with termite infestations. As mentioned above, you may never know they are there until it is too late. They can cause major problems to structural buildings. Though most species prefer damp or rotting wood, they can feed perfectly well on sound wood. Even for the experts, it can be difficult to ascertain the correct species of termite, and thus it can be difficult to apply the correct solution.
There are 360 species of termite found in Australia. But these species can be divided into 3 main categories – Subterranean, Drywood, and Dampwood. Each of these species will have different characteristics. The most dangerous species is arguably the Subterranean kind. They tend to have the biggest colonies.
Specifically, the Coptotermes Acinaciformis, Subterranean termite is the most problematic. It is easily confused with certain other termite species. These termites do not build mounds. Instead, they make their nests in the roots of trees (often eucalyptus, oak, and peppercorns). From here, they can burrow underground up to 50 meters for a fresh supply of food – potentially your home. Soil contact is not essential. An adequate supply of water is all they need. They are recognised as the number one threat in Australia, though there are other dangerous species.
Good structural/preventative building practices are key here. You want to eliminate soil contact as much as possible. Termites are one pest you simply cannot treat by yourself – there is no point even attempting it. If disturbed, they will simply go to another area of the house. Termites can often be confused for ants, which is why they are sometimes referred to as ‘white ants’. But ant species are much easier to handle in comparison. We can conduct termite inspections for you at regular intervals to ensure that you are safe and sound – prevention is the best cure.
We are well aware of the importance of the first principal step – correct identification of the termite species. Once this is done, our job is quite a lot easier. We can then locate the colony and apply chemical treatment. Of course, we recommend termite prevention in the first place as opposed to treatment. This can be done with some of our high-quality termite barriers, which last up to 8 years. When it comes to termites, we actually have a number of ways to treat them, as it can take a little bit of persistence and creativity to finally slay the Queen.
Actually, termite treatment and prevention is something of a speciality of ours. We are certified installers of the Trelona Advanced Termite Bait System. We also use the world’s No.1 termite detector – the Termatrac T3i. We complement this with advanced thermal imaging cameras to observe the termites behaviour.
In addition, we are Pest Cert accredited with AEPMA and have exceptionally low rates. In other words, we use the best technology and combine this with the lowest prices. You don’t see it everywhere. In fact, you probably don’t see this anywhere, at least not that we know of in Canberra & Queanbeyan.