October 2008 / Vol.5 / Issue 10

Hello and Welcome to the October Greenpest News. Each month we aim to provide you with some useful information, keeping it short, sweet and pertinent.

Contents

1. Pest Talk - Is DIY termite baiting safe or should it be restricted to professional service only?
2. Monthly Special.

Pest Talk

DIY Termite Baiting -- the Pros and Cons.

This month we will be discussing whether or not the general public is sufficiently capable of operating a DIY termite baiting program or whether it should be restricted to licensed professionals only.  There are some professionals in the pest control industry who believe that it is irresponsible to sell DIY termite baiting systems to the general public.  The main reason cited to explain why they feel this way is because inexperienced misuse of a DIY termite baiting system may lead to catastrophic failures.  This in turn could lead homeowners to spurn and denigrate this useful technology to friends and acquaintances and foster an unwarranted public perception that termite baiting is ineffective (which it isn't).  It would make a professional’s job just that much harder when they are consulting with a customer and trying to advise them that a termite baiting system may be the best course of action for their particular termite management needs.

The fear is that it only takes a few DIY failures to make it onto ACA or Today Tonight and ALL baiting technology (including that which is carried out by professionals) will become severely tarnished in the eyes of the consuming public.

There is no doubt that "termite horror stories" are interesting and make excellent fodder for our TV Watchdog programmers because they always ensure prime TV ratings.  Of course we are all well aware of how unbiased (cough, cough, splutter) these quasi-news shows can be.  Who didn't hear about or see the story concerning the termite inspector in Sydney who carried some termites in a matchbox in his pocket?  He would show these termites to his victims during his termite inspection and convince them that they needed an expensive termite treatment when in fact they didn't.  There is no doubt that this episode cast a poor light across the whole pest control industry.  For the next few weeks, many professionals would turn up to conduct a termite inspection only to be asked, "You haven't got any termites in your pocket have you?"  In most cases it was only a jest, and any sensible professional would laugh along with the client.

The good thing that came out of this is that the public were made aware of the need to be suspicious if they were presented with an alarming termite report accompanied by an urgent demand to take immediate action to rectify the ‘unseen’ problem at an exorbitant price.  If this ever happens to you, we recommend you seek a second opinion before taking action.  Our sister company Green Pest Control encourages their clients to accompany them throughout the whole termite inspection process.  You see what the inspector sees, as he sees it.  Of course you may not want to crawl under a house or through a roof void, but if your termite inspector comes out from under your house and says you have termites, all you need to do is ask him to show you the photo of the termite activity on his camera.  If your termite inspector doesn't carry a camera, be very suspicious; all professionals make use of a digital camera these days to record the extent of their findings.

Sorry for the digression but it was for a reason.  We wanted to make the point that negative news about termite inspectors and the pest control industry didn't really do any harm.  In fact, it benefited the industry because it highlighted the need for the public to ensure that they source out true professionals and to be wary of shonky operators.  Of course it won't stop some foolhardy homeowners from shopping around for the absolute cheapest termite inspector that they can find under the mistaken belief that all inspections are the same.  Nor will it protect them from the unfortunate (and potentially expensive) consequences that may occur if the report is a dud.

Similarly, negative publicity about DIY termite baiting systems in general should have a positive roll-on effect for the better systems.  More importantly, the public should be made aware that professional installation and maintenance of a termite baiting system is always the preferred option if you can afford it.  If you can't afford it, then DIY is still a far better option than no termite management at all.

Although we have covered this topic before in previous newsletters, now is an appropriate time to once again talk about the five most common pitfalls of DIY termite baiting.

• Pitfall No1.  Failure to check the baits due to apathy and procrastination.
  
  Without doubt this is the biggest pitfall of all and accounts for at least 80% of all known failures of DIY termite bait systems.  Termites can depend on human laziness - it's not that they outsmart us; it's simply that they never give up trying.  If you don't check your bait system at least once a month, every month, without fail, you run the risk that the termites will come and feed on one of your bait stations, demolish it, then move on.  Not only is it a lost opportunity to treat and destroy the termites while you had them in the bait, but the property that should have been protected by the bait is still left at risk.
  
  At Green Termite Bait Systems we try to reduce this risk by sending out an e-mail reminder at least once a month but my advice to all DIY customers is that you should also have a backup reminder system to ensure that your baits are checked when you are at home and when you have 10 minutes of spare time.  Everybody has 10 minutes of spare time, yet it is amazing just how often people neglect their DIY termite baiting system.  In some ways it's like forgetting to put air in your tyres; we all intend to do it the next time we are at a service station, but…
  
  BTW, if you don’t have time during the day, did you know that you can also check the baits at night with a torch?
  
  
• Pitfall No2.  Not enough baits.
  
  Our website, as well as the instruction manual that comes with our DIY bait kits, clearly explains that an appropriate distance for the baits to be spaced is about 3m apart in general or 2m apart in high risk areas such as around drain outlets or garden beds against the wall of the house. Spreading six baits around a house is better than nothing, but for proper protection it is important to put in the appropriate number of baits which maybe 20 to 30 depending on the size of the house or even more in the case of houses with a large footprint.
  
  
• Pitfall No3.  Inappropriate positioning of the baits.
  
  Several years ago we had one customer in Helensvale who insisted that his baits be positioned around his fenceline and not around his home.  He lived on a large block of land which meant that the baits were quite a long way from his home.  Although the baits still worked, his home was still at considerable risk from the termites already in his yard because there was nothing to intercept them between their current position and his house.  A couple of years later he relented, allowed us to persuade him to put some extra baits closer to its house which was probably a good thing because a few months later these closer in baits became active.
  
  Sometimes it is not possible or practical to spread termite baits at exactly 3m intervals all the way around the house.  Positioning is affected by the size and layout of garden beds, garden paths, driveways, swimming pools, water tanks and decking.  Large areas of concrete either need to be core cut to allow positioning of the bait within the concrete, or else the baits need to go around the concrete or extend along the concrete if it is a driveway.
  
  A 2m garden bed should have a bait positioned at each end of the bed, not just one in the middle.
  
  If a concrete pathway has an expansion joint at 2.3m or 1.7m intervals for example, then the termite bait should be positioned next to each expansion joint and likewise if the concrete is to be core cut, the hole should be positioned through the expansion joint.  Why?  Simply because expansion joints are a preferred route for termites; offering them a direct and easily protected, moisture gathering corridor from one side of the concrete pathway to the wall of your house.
  
  
• Pitfall No4.  Poor techniques used when treating the bait.
  
  Okay, your bait has been successful and it is chock-full of termites munching away - now is not the time to try and save a few dollars.  There are too many small details that come into play and any one of them may affect the success or failure of the treatment.  Call a professional and have it done properly.  A professional will know how to identify the species of your termites as well as which termiticide is most likely to be successful at eradicating the nest.
  
  Some species such as Coptotermes frenchii, Nasutitermes exitiosus, and Heterotermes ferox are more likely to have nest elimination from Termidor liquid than Termidor dust.  Only highly trained professionals with local knowledge can tell the difference between these termites and ones that appear quite similar.  It's worth paying a little extra to have your bait treated in the most appropriate manner when it is full of termites.
  
• Pitfall No5.  Using poor quality baits.
  
  There are over a dozen different types of termite monitoring systems/baiting systems available from pest controllers and the Internet.  Many people purchase the one that is offered to them by their local pest controller without realising that there is a choice and that some systems are considerably more effective than others.
  
  Some people simply buy the very cheapest one thinking that all bait systems are the same, yet nothing could be further from the truth.  Every manufacturer of termite baiting systems is going to tell you that their system is the best.  All we can say is that you should do a little research before you invest in your termite baiting system.  It's your home, so it only makes sense that you should protect your biggest asset with the best system and not the cheapest.

Okay, you are a now familiar with the five biggest pitfalls of DIY termite baiting.  Within each of those pitfalls the solution is clear and simple and any reliable handy-person can easily manage a DIY termite baiting system without too much fuss.

At this point in time a complete DIY system where the customer can install the baits, check the baits and then treat the baits when they become active is not (legally) available.  It is possible to treat some of the systems using a safe insect growth regulator or an (illegal) alternative insecticide similar to a termiticide.  We would love to put a small puffer containing some Termidor dust in with our Green Termite Bait System, if only it were legal.  But it isn't, and maybe that is for the best.  Eighty percent of people may be able to do the treatment phase of their termite baits successfully.  It's the 20% of people who can't follow instructions or don't have the requisite skills that could ruin it for everybody else.  It's probably the same 20% who would blame the system and not themselves if things went wrong and in all likelihood be the ones to run to the media to air their grievances.

In summary, DIY termite baiting systems are only as good as the person doing the work.  We have seen some of our conscientious customers do their own installation equally as well is any professional - neat and tidy, correctly spaced and sensibly positioned.  On the other hand we have seen some real shockers.

Just to reiterate, the biggest common problem we find amongst DIY customers is failure to check the baits on a regular basis. If you are a DIY customer, we suggest you find a way to remind yourself and motivate yourself every month. I know one person who remembers to do it on the same day that they give their family dog it's once a month worm treatment. Another person told us that they checked their baits each time they mowed their lawn which is fine so long as you mow the lawn at least once a month.

Should the public be allowed to do DIY termite baiting?  At Green Termite Bait Systems it is obvious that we believe the answer to that question is a definite yes. Is everybody capable of handling a DIY termite baiting system?  The answer to that question is a definite no. Some people simply can't handle the responsibility of reading an instruction manual and following clear directions to install their baits and there are others who easily lose interest once the initial "concern" about termites fades away, and before long the baits are negleted and simply don't get checked.

Should we take DIY termite baiting systems off the market because some people simply can't handle it?  Of course not!  When used responsibly, DIY termite baiting is a fantastic tool for every homeowner who wants to lower the risk of termites entering their home undetected. When used irresponsibly, it is not the baits that fail but the person maintaining them.

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New Look Website.

Our sister company Green Pest Control has had a website revamp.  Although it shares a great deal of termite content with our Green Termite Bait Systems website, it also carries additional information about general pest control, everything from cockroaches and spiders to rats and mice.  It is also where our customers local to us in south-east Queensland can find our full-service prices.

If you would like to have a peek at this site, then the link is here.

Monthly Special Promotion.

Buy a pack of 100 Ec2c Termite Windows; mention this promotion, and get our $66 eBook - DIY Termite Inspection Manual for Home Owners© for FREE.

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Promotion finishes November 30th 2008.

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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 2008 Green Termite Bait Systems & Green Pest Control. All rights reserved.

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