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Do you know what's in your walls? |
This species has been introduced in Australia on several occasions and has been detected in Brisbane, Maryborough (QLD), Sydney and other areas. These infestations have been treated by fumigation using methyl bromide, as the usual techniques for the control of other termites are not effective against these species.
Because of its ability ti attack even very small articles of wood, this species is considered the worlds most serious termite pest. It has been introduced into several countries, where it has soon overshadowed existing native species. There are several reasons for its pest reputation:
1. It is easily transported from one place to another.
2. It can exist, feed and breed in very small pieces of timber and articles of furniture, as it makes small colonies.
3. It does not need contact with the ground as moisture is not a limiting factor, and it does not need easily detected mud tunnels as with subterranean species, which are forced into the open by physical barriers such as ant caps.
4. Its moisture requirment is small and it is able to exist on the timbers moisture content.
5. Reproductivesleave and set up new colonies in dry wood, often near the parent colony.
6. Damage is very difficult to detect, as no outward signs are present, particularly during the early stages. Often, the first signs are the collapse of the article or the appearance of the 'poppy seed' sized faecal pellets on horizontal surfaces beneath the colony.
