Will Garden Excavation Eliminate a Termite Nest?
Unfortunately, any disruption to soil around a home often results in termites blocking off old tunnels, hunkering down, and waiting for the dust to settle before they begin their voracious foraging activities. For the same reason, destruction of mud tunnels does not destroy a colony – it just diverts them to a new path into your home and all the cellulose in your wood. True termite control attacks termites at their source – when they are feeding in their deeply hidden nests.
Try Monitor and Bait System to Control Termites Rather than chopping away at your property or your garden, work with termite instincts to control termite invasion. Worker termites forage for food constantly in all directions radiating from the nest. These workers carry food back to feed the entire colony.
Homeowners can install monitors filed with corrugated cardboard to attract termites foraging on your property. Once termites begin to harvest the monitors, insert household-safe bait. The workers will do the termite control work for you by carrying this lethal food back to the nest where it will destroy the entire colony. And you still have your lovely garden at the end!
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Unfortunately, any disruption to soil around a home often results in termites blocking off old tunnels, hunkering down, and waiting for the dust to settle before they begin their voracious foraging activities. For the same reason, destruction of mud tunnels does not destroy a colony – it just diverts them to a new path into your home and all the cellulose in your wood. True termite control attacks termites at their source – when they are feeding in their deeply hidden nests.
Try Monitor and Bait System to Control Termites Rather than chopping away at your property or your garden, work with termite instincts to control termite invasion. Worker termites forage for food constantly in all directions radiating from the nest. These workers carry food back to feed the entire colony.
Homeowners can install monitors filed with corrugated cardboard to attract termites foraging on your property. Once termites begin to harvest the monitors, insert household-safe bait. The workers will do the termite control work for you by carrying this lethal food back to the nest where it will destroy the entire colony. And you still have your lovely garden at the end!
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Why use Termite Bait?
Termites have tenacious characters, but fragile bodies and predictable habits. So, contrary to some popular beliefs, they are not tough to control. Termite bait placed in monitors offers homeowners one successful way to control termites. Social Behavior Causes Termite Trouble As social creatures living in large colonies that rely on worker termites for food, termites are susceptible to poisons and other chemicals that worker termites bring back to the nest.
By inserting bait near a food source, you can eliminate an entire colony over time. Professionals Use Termite Bait and Monitors Professional pest controllers have used strategically placed monitors with termite bait ever since the bait chemicals were federally approved. Why? Because termite bait works to control termites!
Homeowners Can Now Purchase Their Own Bait and Monitors Homeowners can purchase their own bait and purchase or make their own monitors to control termites in and around their homes. While you cannot make the termites use the monitors, you can use enticements including wood, cardboard and other cellulose materials, darkness, and moisture to attract the termite scouts looking for food sources. Once you see evidence of live termites harvesting the material in the monitors, you can introduce the bait and wait for the results - Termite control!
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Termites have tenacious characters, but fragile bodies and predictable habits. So, contrary to some popular beliefs, they are not tough to control. Termite bait placed in monitors offers homeowners one successful way to control termites. Social Behavior Causes Termite Trouble As social creatures living in large colonies that rely on worker termites for food, termites are susceptible to poisons and other chemicals that worker termites bring back to the nest.
By inserting bait near a food source, you can eliminate an entire colony over time. Professionals Use Termite Bait and Monitors Professional pest controllers have used strategically placed monitors with termite bait ever since the bait chemicals were federally approved. Why? Because termite bait works to control termites!
Homeowners Can Now Purchase Their Own Bait and Monitors Homeowners can purchase their own bait and purchase or make their own monitors to control termites in and around their homes. While you cannot make the termites use the monitors, you can use enticements including wood, cardboard and other cellulose materials, darkness, and moisture to attract the termite scouts looking for food sources. Once you see evidence of live termites harvesting the material in the monitors, you can introduce the bait and wait for the results - Termite control!
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What to Do When You See a Termite Swarm
Termites swarm in early summer to establish new colonies. Winged termites suddenly emerge from a nest and descend to mate and form new nests. This often happens at dusk after a thunderstorm, when warm, humid conditions mirror that of their nest.
Outdoor Termite Swarm If it is safe from lightning, use a flashlight to find where the swarm begins. This is your first step to termite control. If the termites are flying from a tree, the hollow pipe of the tree trunk may be their home. If they are flying from a structure, their nest is probably in the soil within 10 metres.
Indoor Termite Swarm Termites that swarm indoors can be shocking but indicate an old problem rather than a new issue. These young termites rarely survive because they lack immediate soil and moisture to mate and form a nest. They cannot eat wood at this stage. However, the swarm highlights a termite infestation that requires termite control. Termite Swarm Requires Termite Control Whether indoors or out, a swarm reveals a termite colony that must be controlled to safeguard your home.
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Termites swarm in early summer to establish new colonies. Winged termites suddenly emerge from a nest and descend to mate and form new nests. This often happens at dusk after a thunderstorm, when warm, humid conditions mirror that of their nest.
Outdoor Termite Swarm If it is safe from lightning, use a flashlight to find where the swarm begins. This is your first step to termite control. If the termites are flying from a tree, the hollow pipe of the tree trunk may be their home. If they are flying from a structure, their nest is probably in the soil within 10 metres.
Indoor Termite Swarm Termites that swarm indoors can be shocking but indicate an old problem rather than a new issue. These young termites rarely survive because they lack immediate soil and moisture to mate and form a nest. They cannot eat wood at this stage. However, the swarm highlights a termite infestation that requires termite control. Termite Swarm Requires Termite Control Whether indoors or out, a swarm reveals a termite colony that must be controlled to safeguard your home.
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Are There Perfect Ways of Eliminating Termites in My Home?
There is no fool-proof way of preventing termite infestation actually. At best, you will have to regularly check your home for termite invasion. One way to keep your home termite-free is to use termite monitors and termite bait. This however is not a sure-fire way of preventing termites from returning to your home.
Why are termite traps recommended?
You need termite traps like termite bait and termite monitors because you need to exterminate termites by preventing them from reproducing. You also need to analyze what happens when termites start to feed on the bait – basically, their young will die early so there won’t be new generations of termites breeding from that particular nest. This helps the colony to eventually die out. Termite monitors and bait are also good because they prevent the colony being disturbed. A colony that has been disturbed will probably fly away and relocate, making your job of eradicating them harder.
Can I destroy the nest manually?
It is unlikely you will be successful at killing a colony if you manually try to remove the nest. It is best to let the termites live naturally until the bait in the termite monitors have started to work. Removing a nest manually will only disturb the queen and the drones so they will fly away and find a different spot in your wood home to rebuild a colony in.
What do I do if the wooden components of my home are rotting?
Rotting wood is very attractive to termites because this represents a new source of food for them. If you discover that parts of your home are already rotting, either because of water exposure or natural weathering, it is best to remove those wooden components altogether. This is the basic way of preventing termites from invading your home. If you have other cellulose-based stuff in your home, such as stacks of old newspapers, you should remove those as well to prevent termites from discovering the stash.
What should I look for when inspecting a home for termite invasion?
You may inspect your home to see if tunnels have already been made by the termites. This is called termite mudding. The colony is covered by mudding as well and will be easy to spot as it is roundish and has a hole at one end for the termites to enter and exit through. Remember: you should not touch this colony as it will only encourage the termites to relocate to a quieter and more protected part of your home.
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There is no fool-proof way of preventing termite infestation actually. At best, you will have to regularly check your home for termite invasion. One way to keep your home termite-free is to use termite monitors and termite bait. This however is not a sure-fire way of preventing termites from returning to your home.
Why are termite traps recommended?
You need termite traps like termite bait and termite monitors because you need to exterminate termites by preventing them from reproducing. You also need to analyze what happens when termites start to feed on the bait – basically, their young will die early so there won’t be new generations of termites breeding from that particular nest. This helps the colony to eventually die out. Termite monitors and bait are also good because they prevent the colony being disturbed. A colony that has been disturbed will probably fly away and relocate, making your job of eradicating them harder.
Can I destroy the nest manually?
It is unlikely you will be successful at killing a colony if you manually try to remove the nest. It is best to let the termites live naturally until the bait in the termite monitors have started to work. Removing a nest manually will only disturb the queen and the drones so they will fly away and find a different spot in your wood home to rebuild a colony in.
What do I do if the wooden components of my home are rotting?
Rotting wood is very attractive to termites because this represents a new source of food for them. If you discover that parts of your home are already rotting, either because of water exposure or natural weathering, it is best to remove those wooden components altogether. This is the basic way of preventing termites from invading your home. If you have other cellulose-based stuff in your home, such as stacks of old newspapers, you should remove those as well to prevent termites from discovering the stash.
What should I look for when inspecting a home for termite invasion?
You may inspect your home to see if tunnels have already been made by the termites. This is called termite mudding. The colony is covered by mudding as well and will be easy to spot as it is roundish and has a hole at one end for the termites to enter and exit through. Remember: you should not touch this colony as it will only encourage the termites to relocate to a quieter and more protected part of your home.
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How to Keep Termites from Destroying Your Home
Termites are insects that live underground in a nest. Though termites usually feed on plant matter in the wild, they will feed on wood components of your home if they can. For this reason, it is vital to keep termites from destroying your home.
What do termites feed on?
Termites will eat almost anything that has plant matter or cellulose in it. Thus your home would be a perfect source of food for termites if you permit them to thrive. You might have some timber stacked around the house – this is conducive to the proliferation of termites. A garden filled with dead wood such as decaying tree trunks is also an ideal food source.
How do I keep termites from feeding on my home?
You should remove dead wood such as timber from the periphery of your home. If the timber covers the foundation of your home, you will be encouraging termites to create tunnels from their subterranean home into the foundation. Homes that are being renovated should not have concrete blocks stacked against the foundation either. Make sure you can see behind the timber or concrete blocks you have stashed behind your home so you can check for termite invasion right away.
Where do termites usually thrive?
Pack rats that hoard a lot of newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes around their home (like in a convenient basement perhaps) are inviting a termite invasion. This is because paper is one of the favorite food of termites. You should avoid covering cracks or expansion joints in your home as well because these encourage termites to make tunnels leading into your house. It is also inadvisable to have paper and cardboard in a subterranean location of your home, such as in a cellar, for the same reason.
How do I get rid of termites if my home is already housing them?
You can get rid of termites by burning any waste paper stacks that have already been invaded by termites. If your home has a damp course, you should only let top soil with plants reach a perimeter of four inches from the damp course. The same holds true for the weep holes – never let the topsoil and plants reach into the four inch perimeter below the weep holes. Get rid of waste wood as well from your home and garden. Once you have identified areas that have been invaded by termites, the next step is to contact a pest exterminator to get rid of them.
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Termites are insects that live underground in a nest. Though termites usually feed on plant matter in the wild, they will feed on wood components of your home if they can. For this reason, it is vital to keep termites from destroying your home.
What do termites feed on?
Termites will eat almost anything that has plant matter or cellulose in it. Thus your home would be a perfect source of food for termites if you permit them to thrive. You might have some timber stacked around the house – this is conducive to the proliferation of termites. A garden filled with dead wood such as decaying tree trunks is also an ideal food source.
How do I keep termites from feeding on my home?
You should remove dead wood such as timber from the periphery of your home. If the timber covers the foundation of your home, you will be encouraging termites to create tunnels from their subterranean home into the foundation. Homes that are being renovated should not have concrete blocks stacked against the foundation either. Make sure you can see behind the timber or concrete blocks you have stashed behind your home so you can check for termite invasion right away.
Where do termites usually thrive?
Pack rats that hoard a lot of newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes around their home (like in a convenient basement perhaps) are inviting a termite invasion. This is because paper is one of the favorite food of termites. You should avoid covering cracks or expansion joints in your home as well because these encourage termites to make tunnels leading into your house. It is also inadvisable to have paper and cardboard in a subterranean location of your home, such as in a cellar, for the same reason.
How do I get rid of termites if my home is already housing them?
You can get rid of termites by burning any waste paper stacks that have already been invaded by termites. If your home has a damp course, you should only let top soil with plants reach a perimeter of four inches from the damp course. The same holds true for the weep holes – never let the topsoil and plants reach into the four inch perimeter below the weep holes. Get rid of waste wood as well from your home and garden. Once you have identified areas that have been invaded by termites, the next step is to contact a pest exterminator to get rid of them.
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How to Get Rid of Termites from Your Home By Yourself
It is now possible to serve as your own pest exterminator. All you need is the proper equipment and pesticide to be able to exterminate any termites that have invaded your home.
What type of equipment is required?
The first type of equipment you need is called a borer scope. This is basically a device with a camera eye at one end connected by cable to the main borer equipment. You can use the borer scope to fit into holes in your home so you can spot termite invasion in hard-to-reach areas of the house. For instance, if you need to see under the foundation of your home, you would need to drill into the wooden floor and insert the borer scope there. The same holds true for inspecting into your ceiling and walls. The advantage of a borer scope is that there is no need to tear apart floors, ceilings and walls if there are no termites there in the first place.
What type of pesticide should I use?
Many pest control pros use chlorfluazuron so this is one safe type of pesticide that you can use for DIY termite eradication. The commercial name of the pest control product with chlorfluazuron in it is Colony Killer Termite Bait. This product sourced from TermiteTrap P/L has been registered with the Australian government and can be used even by amateur pest exterminators.
How does the pesticide work?
Your first job is to identify where termites are actually thriving. You will have to then drill a hole near that spot so that you can funnel the pesticide into the opening. The pesticide itself has to be mixed with water to make a paste. After funneling the pesticide paste into the hole, you need to cover it up well so that the termite colony will not be disturbed. As the termites proceed to feed on the pesticide bait, they will bring back portions of the bait to the termite young. The termite young will then not be able to develop their hard shells. Eventually the colony will be wiped out as decomposition gases build up and fungi in turn invade the nest.
How many times do I need to apply the bait?
You can use three holes filled with bait if the colony seems rather small. For larger colonies you may have to drill more than 5 holes to 10 holes for the pesticide to do its work.
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It is now possible to serve as your own pest exterminator. All you need is the proper equipment and pesticide to be able to exterminate any termites that have invaded your home.
What type of equipment is required?
The first type of equipment you need is called a borer scope. This is basically a device with a camera eye at one end connected by cable to the main borer equipment. You can use the borer scope to fit into holes in your home so you can spot termite invasion in hard-to-reach areas of the house. For instance, if you need to see under the foundation of your home, you would need to drill into the wooden floor and insert the borer scope there. The same holds true for inspecting into your ceiling and walls. The advantage of a borer scope is that there is no need to tear apart floors, ceilings and walls if there are no termites there in the first place.
What type of pesticide should I use?
Many pest control pros use chlorfluazuron so this is one safe type of pesticide that you can use for DIY termite eradication. The commercial name of the pest control product with chlorfluazuron in it is Colony Killer Termite Bait. This product sourced from TermiteTrap P/L has been registered with the Australian government and can be used even by amateur pest exterminators.
How does the pesticide work?
Your first job is to identify where termites are actually thriving. You will have to then drill a hole near that spot so that you can funnel the pesticide into the opening. The pesticide itself has to be mixed with water to make a paste. After funneling the pesticide paste into the hole, you need to cover it up well so that the termite colony will not be disturbed. As the termites proceed to feed on the pesticide bait, they will bring back portions of the bait to the termite young. The termite young will then not be able to develop their hard shells. Eventually the colony will be wiped out as decomposition gases build up and fungi in turn invade the nest.
How many times do I need to apply the bait?
You can use three holes filled with bait if the colony seems rather small. For larger colonies you may have to drill more than 5 holes to 10 holes for the pesticide to do its work.
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How to Control Termite Invasions For the Long Term
The first thing you need to understand about termite invasions is that they will probably recur. This is because termites are a hardy type of insect and it is very difficult to guarantee that they will never return. Your best bet to protect your home is to regularly check for termites because you never know when termites are likely to return.
Why would termites return to my home?
If your home is made of wood, it is very likely that termites will return to feed there. This is especially true if parts of your wood home are rotting already. The role of termites in the food chain is to feed on decaying wood, so by returning to your home they are actually just doing what Mother Nature intended for them to do. Termites return balance to the ecosystem by helping rotten wood to break down into smaller components that become part of the soil. The problem is that your wooden home is also occupied by you and your family.
This is when termites become an annoyance.
How do I prevent termites from feeding on my home?
Termites will not feed on metal, so one way to keep termites away is to make your home wood-free. This is the best way to avoid having to deal with termite invasion. Another way to prevent termites from feeding on your home is to create a pesticide barrier between your home and the surrounding soil – this means you have to anticipate termites from the time you are planning to build your home in the first place. However, this is not a perfect system because termite can find other ways to get into your home. Termites can fit into even tiny holes so that you may be surprised to find they have managed to invade your home. Another way to prevent termites from proliferating is to refrain from having stacks of unused paper, cardboard and plant-based clothing lying around the house. You could also buy termite monitors which will be laced with pesticide bait to place in strategic areas around your home.
What risks do I face if termite invasions recur?
Termites in themselves do not pose a health risk. They just want to eat the wood in your home. So your main risk is that the structure of your home could be compromised if termites start to feed on the wood. Another risk you need to be cautious about is that pets and children may find the bait for the termites and eat it. So always place the bait monitors in areas that children and pets cannot reach.
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The first thing you need to understand about termite invasions is that they will probably recur. This is because termites are a hardy type of insect and it is very difficult to guarantee that they will never return. Your best bet to protect your home is to regularly check for termites because you never know when termites are likely to return.
Why would termites return to my home?
If your home is made of wood, it is very likely that termites will return to feed there. This is especially true if parts of your wood home are rotting already. The role of termites in the food chain is to feed on decaying wood, so by returning to your home they are actually just doing what Mother Nature intended for them to do. Termites return balance to the ecosystem by helping rotten wood to break down into smaller components that become part of the soil. The problem is that your wooden home is also occupied by you and your family.
This is when termites become an annoyance.
How do I prevent termites from feeding on my home?
Termites will not feed on metal, so one way to keep termites away is to make your home wood-free. This is the best way to avoid having to deal with termite invasion. Another way to prevent termites from feeding on your home is to create a pesticide barrier between your home and the surrounding soil – this means you have to anticipate termites from the time you are planning to build your home in the first place. However, this is not a perfect system because termite can find other ways to get into your home. Termites can fit into even tiny holes so that you may be surprised to find they have managed to invade your home. Another way to prevent termites from proliferating is to refrain from having stacks of unused paper, cardboard and plant-based clothing lying around the house. You could also buy termite monitors which will be laced with pesticide bait to place in strategic areas around your home.
What risks do I face if termite invasions recur?
Termites in themselves do not pose a health risk. They just want to eat the wood in your home. So your main risk is that the structure of your home could be compromised if termites start to feed on the wood. Another risk you need to be cautious about is that pets and children may find the bait for the termites and eat it. So always place the bait monitors in areas that children and pets cannot reach.
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How Can I Keep Termites from Returning to My Home?
Termites thrive easily even when you think you have wiped out their colony. This is because you need to find the queen of the colony to be able to wipe out that particular colony. The queen’s job is to keep reproducing which is why even when you think you have successfully removed a termite nest, the queen may simply transfer to another location near or in your home and reproduce there.
How do I know that termites are no longer a threat?
It is quite difficult to determine if you have succeeded in wiping out a termite colony. Vigilance is required to keep them from simply relocating. If your home has many wood components, you should inspect all of the exposed wood to see if termites have made inroads into these wood parts. Some homes have wood components built into the foundation as well so you need to dig around your home to find out if termites have compromised the foundation of your home. This is why you need a termite exterminator to do the job. A termite exterminator would be knowledgeable enough to determine if you have succeeded in wiping out the colony.
What parts of Australia are risk areas for termite invasion?
Tasmania is one area that has zero risk for termite invasion. Majority of Melbourne is a high risk area for termites. Interior Australia is generally at low risk for termite infestation. The northwest and northeast areas of the country pose the highest risk areas for this kind of insect infestation. In fact, the CSIRO or Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said that most of Australia may be moderate to high risk areas for termite invasion.
Why is my home at risk for repeat termite invasion?
Termites are hardy creatures so it is actually quite difficult to wipe them out once they have invaded your home. If the queen survives your pest extermination efforts, the colony will be rebuilt within days because the queen is allowed to reproduce again. Wood homes are the most at risk because there may be parts of the house that are rotting already due to water exposure and weathering. Your home will probably be subject to subsequent termite invasion if you have not removed decaying wood, waste paper and cardboard from the interior and exterior of your home. Termites might even invade your home if there are clothes made from cotton stacked up in corners and remain untouched for years. Termites like cotton clothes because they are also made from plant matter.
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Termites thrive easily even when you think you have wiped out their colony. This is because you need to find the queen of the colony to be able to wipe out that particular colony. The queen’s job is to keep reproducing which is why even when you think you have successfully removed a termite nest, the queen may simply transfer to another location near or in your home and reproduce there.
How do I know that termites are no longer a threat?
It is quite difficult to determine if you have succeeded in wiping out a termite colony. Vigilance is required to keep them from simply relocating. If your home has many wood components, you should inspect all of the exposed wood to see if termites have made inroads into these wood parts. Some homes have wood components built into the foundation as well so you need to dig around your home to find out if termites have compromised the foundation of your home. This is why you need a termite exterminator to do the job. A termite exterminator would be knowledgeable enough to determine if you have succeeded in wiping out the colony.
What parts of Australia are risk areas for termite invasion?
Tasmania is one area that has zero risk for termite invasion. Majority of Melbourne is a high risk area for termites. Interior Australia is generally at low risk for termite infestation. The northwest and northeast areas of the country pose the highest risk areas for this kind of insect infestation. In fact, the CSIRO or Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said that most of Australia may be moderate to high risk areas for termite invasion.
Why is my home at risk for repeat termite invasion?
Termites are hardy creatures so it is actually quite difficult to wipe them out once they have invaded your home. If the queen survives your pest extermination efforts, the colony will be rebuilt within days because the queen is allowed to reproduce again. Wood homes are the most at risk because there may be parts of the house that are rotting already due to water exposure and weathering. Your home will probably be subject to subsequent termite invasion if you have not removed decaying wood, waste paper and cardboard from the interior and exterior of your home. Termites might even invade your home if there are clothes made from cotton stacked up in corners and remain untouched for years. Termites like cotton clothes because they are also made from plant matter.
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