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Do you know what's in your walls? |
Termites construct a variety of nests and can either be underground (subterranean) or above ground (superos). These termite nests are designed for protection of the colony and for the reproduction of more termites. In Queensland the major wood-destroying termite is the subterranean variety which can be very difficult to detect until the damage is done. The most destructive variety of termite in all of Australia is the Mastotermes Darwiniensis termite. This subterranean variety is the number one cause of damage to homes and accounts for over tens of millions of property damage annually.
Termites consume wood in order to extract and digest the cellulose contained within the timber. They have a strain of protozoa in their intestinal tract that breaks down the wood fiber into digestible cellulose compounds. The termites branch out from their nest through an intricate system of tunnels that can stretch outwards of 200 meters from the base nest. The tunnels or ‘galleries’ are constructed of fecal and soil that is then plastered into the familiar rounded shape. These tunnels are amazingly strong and give the termite foragers adequate protection from the suns rays and other predators that prey on termites such as ants and small mammals.
Once a termite nest is discovered and it is deemed detrimental to the residence then steps should be immediately taken to eradicate this wood-destroying organism. The main objective is to destroy the king and queen of the colony thus eliminating the reproductive capabilities of the entire nest. The direct approach is the most immediate and is the one that should be carried out if the nest is visible. A termiticide applied as directed onto the mound will destroy the queen and king within days. Unfortunately many termite nests are far from the residential property and the indirect elimination method must be administered.
The preferred method of eradication by indirect means is to bait the suspected area in a perimeter sweep with a termiticidal bait post. These baits are normally feeding post that are sunken into the earth and baited with raw but treated timber. The eradication period depends upon the amount of bait consumed by the termite workers and the speed of the feeding of the termiticide to the royal king and queen. The social networking apparatus of the termites is the main conveyance for administering the termiticide to the colony.