Super termites as report on Today Tonight 22 Nov 2010

Alarmist news articles that regularly appear on our TV news can cause a lot of unnecessary concern for homeowners. The case of the recent story that appeared on Channel 7’s Today Tonight show is a classical example. They named the type of termite that cause significant damage in a house in Adelaide as a “Super Termite”.

There are no super termites. All termites can cause damage to your home. Some types of termites can cause more damage than others, but this is a reflection of several interrelated factors - The maturity of the colony the termites are foraging from (size of the nest). The conducive conditions around and in your home and the time of the year (in the hotter months, the termites are more active).

The story ran by Channel 7 talked about the type of termite called “Kalotermitidae” (Dry-wood termites). These are certainly an issue, particularly if they are the West Indian dry-wood termite. This type of termite can establish a large nest inside a structure and cause considerable damage. They don’t need to source moisture from the soil and don’t cause the tell-tale signs of moisture in timber. They are far moredifficult to detect and treat.

But the chance of you experiencing a West Indian Dry-wood termite infestation compare to the more common subterranean termite is nearly 1/1000. What you as a homeowner need to be aware of is that the responsibility for eradication of the West Indian Dry-wood termites in the State of Queensland is solely with the DPI (Department of Primary Industries).

Areas in Brisbane that are known to have West Indian Dry-wood termites are Lota, Manly, Wynnum, Hemmant and the Western suburbs of Kenmore, Taringa and Indooroopilly. If you think you have signs of any termites in your home or garden, call us now on 1300 417 007 to arrange a full inspection to gain real peace of mind.