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They are the most unwanted guests that homeowners can have and they usually cause big headaches and stress. Getting rid of different types of termites can be a long and exhausting process, so it is better to start as soon as you see them. They can do a lot of damage to your home after which you will have to do a big renovation or replace furniture pieces. Once they are there they tend to form a colony which makes it even more hard to control. They can live up to 25 years and this is why you must take action immediately when you notice an infestation. Here’s how you get rid of termites in your home:

Locate and Identify Them

The very first thing that you should do is to locate them. There are signs of termites that you should closely inspect in order to follow their trace. They can be hiding in wooden furniture so look for visible damages. Don’t miss places where wooden surfaces meet with soil as well. They can be hiding in tubes that run in walls. Since there are different types of termites, you can find other types in dry places. Wood pellets are another well known place where they can be.

Call a Professional Service

This is the most obvious thing that you should do. I don’t advise you to try to get rid of them on your own since you don’t have any special equipment or knowledge how to do that in the right and most effective way. Remember that this is a pretty hard job and you shouldn’t leave things just to yourselves if the termites are widespread. However, if you think that they are only found in a certain place, you can give some DIY solutions a try.

Set Termite Baits

These baits are inserted in the ground around your house and hopefully the termites will get them back to the nest. It may take 3-14 days for the whole colony to get killed.

Apply a Barrier Treatment

If you are using the barrier treatment make sure that you are following all of the prescribed directions accordingly. The barrier treatment consists of granules that are set outside your home. It kills the termites before they get inside.

Use Spray or Foam

If you have just spotted termites on a super accessible spot get the right spray or foam to eliminate them immediately. They work great for indoor termites while the previous two are more suitable for outdoor usage.

Use Boric Acid

If you are looking for something not so harmful and more natural, get boric acid or also known as Borax. It is still toxic, however not as much as the other insecticides. It is said that it works on most of the termites and that it takes 3 to 7 days for them to die. You can use it either as a powder or a borate solution. It’s great that you can use it both indoors and outdoors. It’s very cheap as well, so it fits everyone’s budget as well.

To Sum Up

Consider your own situation and saving accounts before deciding how you would like to treat the termites. If you don’t feel like waiting to see whether they are gone or your treatments have been successful, call the professional pest control service and let them deal with the termites in the most effective way.

When pests find food in your wooden flooring, the most common point of attack is the structures supporting the floor instead of the stuff you wall on daily. After all, the softwood of subfloors and floor joists is more appealing to termites than tile or the backings of laminate floors. If you suspect your home’s hardwood floor is under attack by termites, get in touch with a reliable pest control expert to inspect the property and advise you accordingly.

Common Signs of Termite Damage on Hardwood Floors

Repairing termite damage to hardwood floors is a complex process. These bugs rarely limit their damage to the superficial section of a floor. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to know the earliest signs of termite infestation in your floors and get the issue addressed in time. Some of these signs include;

• Hollow sound – Often, termites begin eating wooden floors from below without causing visible damage.
• Wood that’s easy to penetrate – termite infestation makes wooden floors a little bit spongy and easy to penetrate with a sharp object.
• Buckling or raised areas of the wooden floor.
• Loose boards.
• Patterns associated with tunneling within the wood.
• Damaged baseboards.

If you suspect your hardwood floor is infested with termites, contact an extermination expert. Termites can hide in areas that are difficult to reach, and that means the termite infestation and related damage could be more widespread than you think.

Financial Impact 

Termite damage on hardwood floors and other wooden structures can be very alarming. Research shows that some of the subterranean termites can eat up to 15 pounds of wood weekly. Unprotected hardwood floors and other structures are prone to damage associated with termites. The National Pest Management warns that termites cause about $5 billion in property damage annually. And these damages aren’t covered property owner’s insurance policy. Damaged wooden floors will need to be replaced, and you also need to pay an expert in termite extermination. These bugs are hard to control, and that means the pest exterminator may need to handle subsequent termite treatment. These services are often tied to costly expertise.

Prevent Termite Damage

Early detection is key to protecting your property from termite damage. These bugs get attracted to areas of a house where the wood is moist, wet or damp. They use the soft material to create their nests and breed inside your wooden walls and hardwood floors. If not detected and exterminated in time, these little devils can inflict damage to the floor, wooden beams, ceiling, baseboards, carpets, walls, drywall, and other parts of your home. In worst cases, termites can compromise the structural integrity of your home. To minimize or prevent such extensive damage, consider hiring an experienced pest control expert.

It’s no secret that termites need damp, moist conditions to thrive, they love the warm and humid weather of Brisbane. So, while you are enjoying the lifestyle beautiful Brisbane has to offer your suburb may be a hot spot for termite nests and a mass of underground tunnels you are not even aware of. Here is a list of the top 8 Brisbane suburbs known for its termite activity.

Today were joined by Danny Kelly of Pest-Ex who provides professional termite treatment and pest control Brisbane.

There will be areas that attract termites and perhaps provide more conducive breeding grounds so if your suburb is listed here be extra vigilant when it comes to inspecting your property for termites.Minor Termite activity that isn’t treated swiftly can easily turn into a full-scale infestation, costing your thousands of dollars in repairs. Getting a professional termite inspection conducted on at least once a year will protect your home

Pre-Purchase inspections are very valuable if you find yourself considering purchasing property in one of these suburbs. Knowing upfront if you have termites and the extent of the infestations or any damage caused will be helpful in determining treatment or pursuing the investment going forward.

FOREST LAKE

The reason this suburb hits no 1 is that 15 years ago when the community was first established developers cleared the land and bulldozed the vegetation into the soil, essentially burying the termite colonies with the trees and shrubs Statistically pest controllers receive 2-3 times more call out for termites that in any other Brisbane suburb. While many of the new builds were constructed with under slab termite treatments, the minute the slabs shifted, and small foundation cracks developed termites found a way in causing extensive property damage. Homeowners found that some rooms needed to be partially stripped and wet rooms needed to be re-waterproofed and re-tiled.

ACACIA RIDGE

Acacia Ridge is an area surrounded by creeks and low-lying ponds which means the soil has a naturally high moisture content. Acacia Ridge was established during the Second World War and many of the homes are older and may have been constructed with wood. A combination of wood, ground contact and high moisture provides the perfect breeding grounds for termites

ANNERLEY

Another one of the longest established suburbs in Brisbane is Anerley. These properties are generally large green blocks with Queenslander type buildings. Due to the large blocks of land, many people have storage sheds and wood piles in the back yard which attract termites. So, if you suspect termite activity chances are that you will first spot them somewhere in your garden.A termite inspection in this area will be comprehensive and technicians will inspect any storage sheds, drains, wood piles as well as the buildings.

CARINDALE

Carindale has a large number of townhouses that were built around 8 to 10 years ago. This means that they during construction they would have had anunder-slab termite treatment that which was sprayed in the area before the foundations were set.  The only problem is that this type of treatment only lasts 8 years and the effectiveness of this termiticide deteriorates over time. The homes in this area will need to be treated again if they are to be protected long term.

CALAMVALE

Calamvale is a high-density suburb with many apartments, small units or duplex’s in a complex. Due to the density of the housing and such close proximity to one another these types of properties are particularly at risk because once a termite colony settles in, they can travel up to 50 metres to build a new sub nest, and then up to 40 metres once that’s been established.  In a group of townhouses or units, this can mean the entire block is in range and can be affected. If you suspect that you have termites the infestation may be widespread and have actually originated from 5 units down.

If you do happen to live in any of these suburbs or suspect that you may have a termite issue, do not hesitate to call in a pest controller. A professional technician will have the experience, the expertise and the right tools to be able to find and treat any termites, as well as protect your property on an ongoing basis.