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April 2007 / Vol.4 / Issue 4
Hello and Welcome to the April Greenpest News. Each month we aim to provide you with some useful information, keeping it short, sweet and pertinent.
Pest Talk
A brief history of termite prevention.
Our great grandparents didn't have the vast array of termite control measures that we have on offer in this day and age. For them, the solution was to build the home off the ground or in other words, to create a physical barrier or impediment to hinder termites from accessing the home.
When you consider that Australia was settled by a predominantly English population you have to give our forefathers credit. Great great granddad had to think creatively or lose his home to the voracious appetites of termites that are found across mainland Australia. They did not face any termite problems in England. The only experience that they had to draw on were the many colonial homes already built throughout the British Empire in warmer countries such as India and South Africa, countries that also have severe termite problems.
The building of homes off the ground on stumps was clever. The addition of a galvanised metal plate on top of the stump (called ant capping) was ingenious. So much so, that it is still used in new home construction today.
The majority of modern homes are now built flat on the ground. It's considered easier to carve a flat pad out of the side of a hill than build a home on stumps (piers or poles) when a block is sloping. The termites of Australia are grateful for this opportunity, you can be sure!
In the 60's right through to the 90's homes were built flat on the ground and the ground was pre-sprayed with organochlorines prior to the slab being poured. If it was correctly done (and it rarely was) this kind of treatment could last for decades. Its only weakness was that the treated soil around the perimeter of the slab needed to be left undisturbed, but commonly added pathways, driveways, extensions and gardens would breach the treated zone and once more termites would exploit the weakness.
Homes that were built on a slab between 1996 and 2002 were built during a horror period. Organochlorines were banned by the Australian government but no consideration was given to a suitable alternative to fill the void. This is when the scientists and the big chemical companies that employed them became even more active in their search for an effective, affordable solution. Our own CSIRO offered several new ideas that they had be researching for years:
- Granitguard - A physical barrier of fine granite particles - Still used today.
- Nematodes - A biological control agent - Impractical with a low success rate.
- Fungi - Another biological control agent - Developed originally to control grasshopper plagues - trialled with termites but once again with very limited success.
- Bait boxes - the precursor to modern baiting systems.
Today, new home owners can build with steel frames or treated timber. This is a progressive step but few people are aware that termites can still run up a sizeable damage bill on other items with-in these homes.
Other physical barriers that have been developed for new home construction include:
- Crushed glass
- Sand
- Gravel (various grades)
- Stainless steel mesh
- Plastics
- Concrete
The idea is simple - either block the termites from gaining access or force them to reveal themselves by building mud shelter tubes to breach the obstruction.
Other clever inventions that are currently used in new home construction are:
- Chemically treated matting - usually incorporated into the plastic sheeting that is placed before the slab is poured.
- Reticulation systems - an underground soaker system aimed at refreshing the chemicals in the treated zone under and around the house as needed.
- Termite inhibiting collars worn around all plumbing points in a slab.
Everything helps. Most modern homes implement at least two of the control measures mentioned above, yet we still get termites in new homes. Why?
It's because termites never give up trying.
If you don't destroy the termite's home - they will just keep trying, until they succeed.
The key to termite control is obvious - destroy their home before they get yours. If only it was that easy! Most termite nests are hidden underground or inside of trees out of sight.
Note: Arboreal nests (above ground nests usually visible on trees) and termite mounds are more commonly the homes of termite species that pose no economically significant risk to your home.
There are two great ways to destroy a termite nest that you can't find, let alone see.
- Create a treated zone around your home with a nonrepellent termiticide
(Termidor or Premise) that they will transfer back to the nest if they should
enter the treated zone.
- Pros: This is brilliant if it is done to the Australian Standards and can last up to 8 or 10 years before it must be done again.
- Cons: Hundreds of litres of chemical need to be flooded
into a trench around the entire perimeter of the house.
To be installed correctly, concrete, tiles and pavers must come up to allow for correct trenching - then the concrete and tiles need to be replaced. Alternatively and a poor second best - the concrete and tiles are drilled with ugly holes... Holes which unfortunately will very likely devalue your home.
It is very expensive to do correctly.
In many cases it simply can't be done correctly - so it is limited. Care must be taken to maintain its integrity. Most home owners sooner or later through simple ignorance will inadvertently breach the treated zone and let the termites in. Some people even lay out the red carpet!
- Use a termite monitoring and baiting system to intercept termites then
recruit the termites to transfer a termiticide back to the nest.
- Pros: Non-obtrusive and simple to implement without a need
to carve up the full perimeter of the house.
Lower initial cost.
Environmentally friendly.
Can be fully installed in a couple of hours - no fuss. - Cons: Not all termite baiting systems are created equal.
Pick the wrong one and you not only increase your risk of termite attack, you
also waste your money. Our comparison sheet explains it in more detail.
The system is only as good as the service it receives.
DIY customers are notorious for failing to check their baits.
Bait systems are only as good as the product used to treat them and whether the product is applied effectively.
In poor quality systems termites can abandon the bait due to disturbance during the discovery and treatment process.
- Pros: Non-obtrusive and simple to implement without a need
to carve up the full perimeter of the house.
Back to history... In 1996 we developed our first prototype of the Green Termite Bait System based loosely on some research that the CSIRO was conducting with 'Bait Boxes'. Other termite monitoring stations were developed in the USA and soon Sentricon, then Exterra, flooded the market in Australia. These systems utilise IGRs (growth inhibitors) to eventually destroy a termite colony.
In the same period many pest controllers made their own bait boxes or bait tubes and would treat them with arsenic trioxide (a highly poisonous metabolic toxin).
Bayer released a brilliant product called Intrigue Dust in 2000, but it was not readily taken up by the pest control industry for three reasons.
- It was expensive to purchase, whereas Arsenic trioxide is 10 times cheaper. Amazingly, arsenic trioxide is still readily available.
- If not used correctly it had a high failure rate.
- It could take a long time (several months) to work.
All IGRs suffer from the problem of slow results. (It should be noted that Intrigue Dust works exceedingly well with the Green Termite Bait System, usually destroying the nest within 2 months - however, Termidor Dust is one step better again.)
Termidor dust is now available and it has a huge advantage over the IGRs because Termidor dust will destroy a termite colony completely within 2-4 weeks when it is applied correctly.
It is especially effective when it is applied to a Green Termite Bait because the bait is an end point where termites gather to feed. The hundreds of termites in the bait are continually rotating back and forth to the nest and as they do they transfer microscopic traces of the dust to many other termites that then do the same.
It is non-repellent and non-detectible by termites. The dust medium for transporting the termiticide is made from alpha-cellulose which is also an edible food for the termites.
On the other hand arsenic trioxide is repellent to termites. It has been shown that some species of termites (Schedorhinotermes in particular) will be refused re-entry to the nest if they are coated with arsenic dust. So why do some pesties still offer/insist on using arsenic. One answer - it's dirt cheap.
You, the customer, should insist on Termidor dust for one reason - it works! But remember it comes at a price. It is approximately 30 times the price of arsenic. It's your home, and it is your baiting system. Do you want $2 worth of arsenic with a 50/50 chance of success of would you prefer to spend $60* and have a 99% chance of success?
*Note: At the time of publishing Termidor dust is still a few weeks away from general release due to trivial delays within the APVMA. Prices will depend on the amount of dust used.
Exploiting a Termite's Weaknesses
Termite control has been a top priority for many researchers because of the huge amounts of damage termites cause every year on a worldwide scale. There have been a great many approaches to termite control.
For those readers who have a scientific bent, you will love the following link. It clearly outlines a host of methods employed to either eliminate or prevent termites.
http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/termites/UNEPTBLS.htm
It's extremely interesting because it opens the mind to lateral thinking.
At a recent termite seminar that we attended it was mentioned that scientists working in the pest control industry are always looking for the best way to manage and control termites. The key note speaker Dr. John French, Ph.D. formerly of CSIRO and one of the minds behind the original 'bait box' idea as well as Granitguard, posed the following question and answer which we have summarised here:
quot;What is the termite's Achilles' Heel? It is definitely not the use of IGRs. IGRs are too slow and prone to failure. Their Achilles' Heel is Termidor Dust with the active ingredient Fipronil. It kills them quickly but not too quickly and it is undetectable to termites as formulated. It will spread throughout an entire colony in just a few days. They don't stand a chance."
And he should know, because he has been conducting scientific trials with Fipronil since its inception back around 1990.
Customer Question of the Month.
Question:
Hi there,
We have had two professional inspections on our home and have had termites detected in isolated areas and have already spent a great sum doing so. Due to other financial commitments, the prices they offered to treat the areas were well in excess of what we can afford. After much research my husband and I have opted to treat our home ourselves using a baiting system. Are we able to purchase everything including the termiticide from you that will allow us to do it ourselves as we cannot afford to have it done by a professional? Your response to my request will be greatly appreciated.
Evelyn R - Altona Meadows VICTORIA
Answer:
Hi Evelyn,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Firstly, I'd like to say that if you have
termites IN your house, PLEASE DON'T even consider doing it yourself.
If you do it yourself and fail (and you have a high likelihood of failure) then you will rue the day, and in 1 year you will have an even bigger problem - most likely.
Am I trying to scare you? - Yes! - Because DIY termite control of your house without the appropriate skills is like DIY brain surgery.
Termites can become very costly if not treated successfully in the first place.
That said; if you have termites in your yard, then a Green Termite Bait System will be perfect for you.
By law termiticide is not supplied - you will need to contact your nearest pest control company to treat your baits when they become active with termites.
Some of our customers have treated their baits themselves with products from Bunnings such as Confidor, but that is NOT legal. It is hard to be sure if it is successful or not and they are taking all the risk.
We advise that you should always seek professional help.
At your service,
Jerry
Story of the Month.
| Horror Story | Courtesy of Scott & Heather S. |
One of our newsletter subscribers has kindly emailed us the
following photos of his home and has graciously granted us permission to publish
them.
It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words...
Oh boy, that isn't pretty!
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The Greenpest News is Published by J & A Furnell Nominees P/L; Shop 23a Franklin Square, 60 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of Jerry Furnell. The reader is encouraged to seek further information from appropriate government and statutory departments before taking any action based on this material alone.
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See you again next month.
Always... At your service,
Jerry Furnell
Green Pest Control & Green Termite Bait Systems.
Phone 1800 6 12345.
Copyright 2007 Green Termite Bait Systems & Green Pest Control. All rights reserved.
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