We offer you the following detailed advice and information concerning
your options for the treatment of your termite infestation .

Dusting Treatments

The dusting process is usually the first stage of a  treatment program. The second stage involves placement of a Termiticide Treated Zone around the home. In some cases dusts can also be used in monitoring stations when significant activity is discovered. Dusting by itself is a very risky undertaking as termites can readily reinfest.  For dusting treatments we use Termidor® Dust, small holes are made in timber that has been attacked or into the termite trails, dust is then applied into the workings through the holes by means of a small puffer and the holes covered to re-seal the workings and to prevent dust escaping and to reduce disturbance of the termites. Numerous dustings may be necessary to claim elimination. See the Control agents page for details on Termidor Dust.

 Foaming Treatments

Dusting or Foaming Treatments?

Dusting or Foaming Treatments are usually the 'First Stage' of a 'Two Stage' Treatment with the second stage being the placement of a Termiticide Treated Zone into the ground to impede further attack.if you elect to carry out a limited treatment involving Dusting or Foaming without the second stage Treated Zone being installed then the dusting or foaming may not on its own be effective.

Whilst the dust or the termiticide contained in the foam can eventually result in eliminating the particular termite colony which is infesting your premises at the time, the process is  slow and can take 6 months to achieve this result. Foaming is the better option because the foam penetrates further than dust and also fills all cracks and crevices . The benefit of a Two Stage Treatment is that on completion of the work a Termiticide Treated Zone is placed around the structure versus a Dusting or Foaming where only the activity is treated and there is no ongoing residual soil zone to protect from attack by other termite colonies in the area.

Dusting or Foaming is also a limited process. At the time that our proposal is put forward to you we will nominate the number of visits we will make and the cost. Beyond that there is no ongoing free service provided. If you find evidence of further termite activity, even in the same area where we have previously dusted or foamed, there will be additional service costs to treat that activity.

There is no easy way to treat termites. Partial treatments are just that. They may work - but invariably termites will recur in the area where the original infestation was apparent.

Complete Soil Treatment.

This is the preferred option for Managing the termite problems facing your property.
This type of treatment depends greatly on the style of construction of your home, and is not always practical, this can be explained in full upon request.

External Perimeter Only Treatment.

Since termites enter through the soil, the Australian standard requires all soil next to the structure be treated ( both under the floor/slab and around the external perimeter of the home) to provide a complete treated soil barrier/zone.
With concrete slab on ground homes in particular, it is frequently found that an external perimeter treatment around the outside of the home alone is adequate to protect the building. Especially if the slab was constructed properly to AS 2870.

For this reason an external perimeter may be considered as a possible first step in a termite control programme. With this style of treatment the slab of the home forms a physical barrier.  Sometimes  termites may still enter through pipe penetrations or other cracks in the concrete slab. This will render any Free Service Period null and void since we will need to perform the above additional requirements to protect your property.

An external perimeter may be considered as a possible first step in a termite control programme.

   Where possible we will trench along an external wall, This is an importnat step as we can remove any rubble, in most cases we replace the removed soil with clean fill (brickies loam ) and treat as we back fill.

   Footings are cleaned to remove excess motar. This is a VERY important step in any treatment as Termites often travel between this excess "brickies mud" and the top of the footings.

The footings and bricks are then inspected for any cracks/ gaps ( if found these are then filled ), 

  Gaps can be sealed witha special Temite silicone

Service entry points such as phone cables and plumbing where possible are inspected for possible termite entry points .We then replace the removed soil with clean sand. As the sand is placed in the trench we apply the termiticide . Thus the new barrier/treated zone is free from contamination----lumps of clay, rocks, wood chip ect

 Treatment by the less expensive option of soil rodding CANNOT fully treat this area

Pavers are lifted and replaced after the treatment

Where paths/ cement abbuts the home we drill aprox 150mm out from the wall and every 100mm to 300 mm along the length of the wall. Then we inject termiticide at a rate of 10 Lpm.
The preferred option where paths abut the home is to cut and remove a strip of concrete 300mm wide to allow cleaning of footings and exposure of possible entry points . We carry a concrete saw on all jobs to allow for this form of treatment.

All holes are 12mm and drilled at no more than 300mm apart (most cases200mm) the holes are then plugged after treatment

In some cases the internal edge of a slab is drilled & injected as well, this is done where the there is no external entry point found. This is required where there are construction joins in the slab, cracks in the slab, or entry points around pipes.

Internal treatments often consist of drilling and injecting along one side of walls in the area of activity or along one side of all internal walls. This form of treatment depends on the nature on the infestation and the style of construction of the home. Thus such treatments are assessed on a case per case basis.

In addition to internal drilling & injecting, or in some cases as a stand alone treatment we use Borates to treat the baseplate/ bottom of stud walls. Small holes are made just above the skirting board, a flexible scope is then used to inspect the wall cavity for damage/ activity . Borates are then injected into the wall cavity. This will kill any termites present in mudpacking in the cavity, and protect the lower timbers from attack. Holes are then filled.(Taken on a case per case basis).See :Borate Treatments page

Subfloors

If your home has a subfloor it is very important to treat this area.
Subfloors provide ideal conditions for termites to attack homes.
Often subfloors are very low, dark, moist, and hardly ever entered by the home owner. Thus considerable activity can take place undetected.
Where the clearance is less than 400 mm the entire soil surface must be treated, if the height is above 400mm than barriers must be installed along all walls and around piers. Our preferred method of treating these areas is to take under sand to create a barrier on top of the existing soil. This is because unless there is a drainage problem present most subfloor soils are very dry. As such they do not accept the termiticide well, or footings may be exposed.

When we bring in sand we create a clean "block" of treated zone that termites would have to travel through to reach the home. In some cases there is a drainage problem present, if this was the case this would have to be fixed first.

Baiting

There are 2 types of Baiting:  Internal and External

Sentricon Internal Baits  are often used where  activity is present within the home. After a full inspection of the home bait stations (number of stations depends on activity present)  are attached to the wall, First termite baits are installed, This treatment option , when used without a Treated Soil Barrier/Treated Zone, requires more frequent inspections and regular visits to monitor the results.Even when successful in controlling the nest attacking your home, it does not leave the house itself protected. Other nests within the area remain as a risk to the home .Hence the need for more frequent inspections.
                                                 

 Bait station located on a sil with active termites.....        Bait station with termites

 We use the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System is a Monitoring and Baiting System designed to concentrate termite feeding in specific locations. Once feeding has been concentrated at the Sentricon Monitoring Stations, the Monitoring Device in the Stations is replaced by Recruit^™ II Termite Bait containing hexaflumuron, an insect growth regulator (IGR). Recruit^™ II has been shown to prevent termites from moulting. This results in their death and the eventual elimination of the colony whilst minimising the use of chemicals in the environment.

When colony elimination is achieved you will be issued with a FREE TimberSafe Timber Replacement Warranty fully underwritten by Pacific International Insurance. This reflects the total confidence held in the Sentricon system and the revolutionary concept of 'termite elimination'.

The security of TimberSafe protection is available for domestic residences and commercial buildings.

You are encouraged to take advantage of the security offered by maintaining an ongoing Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination Program. Your property always remains susceptible to future attack from new termite colonies or other established colonies in the area. To relieve this constant threat to your property the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination Program works as an ongoing process. If you choose to take advantage of this ongoing security system you will also retain the additional protection offered by your TimberSafe Timber Replacement Warranty.

Limit of Pacific International Insurance Protection	$100,000
TimberSafe Covers	All structural and decorative timbers and make good repairs.

With the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination Program in place, we hope you'll never experience termite problems again. But just in case you do, isn't it good to know you'll be fully compensated for the damage they could cause?

Here Are the Steps to Termite Colony Elimination.

1. First, your home will be inspected for signs of termites. Then, Sentricon stations will be placed in the soil around your home.

2. The stations will be checked regularly for termite activity.

3. When termites are found in a station, the timber is replaced with a bait 

4. The captured termites will feed on Recuit II termite bait, tunnel out and send other colony nestmates back to feed on the bait. This is called trophallaxis – the exchange of chemical messages, as well as nutrients, between colony members. It allows termites to spread hexaflumuron – the active ingredient in Recruit II – throughout the colony.  As nestmates feed on the bait, the colony starts to decline and is eliminated.

5. After a colony has been eliminated, the bait will be replaced with new monitoring devices. Your Operator will continue to inspect these regularly to discover any new colonies that might invade your property.

Aggration Boxes

This involves the use of procedures designed to locate and concentrate termite activity within a property.
First termite bait boxes are installed; the number of boxes is up to the customer but we recommended that a minimum of 6 are installed. These boxes can then be checked by the home owner, when termites are present upon notification we can treat them. These boxes are used to try to concentrate a large amount of termites in the one place. From this point a dusting /foaming treatment can be applied to the box in an attempt to control the entire colony. This treatment option, when used without a Treated Soil Barrier/Treated Zone, requires more frequent inspections and regular visits to monitor the results.

Even when successful in controlling the nest attacking your home, it does not leave the house itself protected. Other nests within the area remain as a risk to the home. Hence the need for more frequent inspections.
The removal of other food options for termites is very important with any treatment, but with with this style of treatment it is a MUST.

How has your home been protected?

Different types of structural systems require different types of barriers here are the most common.

 Suspended timber floors

The most traditional way of resisting termite infestation with suspended timber floors is by the use of ant caps or termite shields combined with periodic inspections of the sub-floor space for signs of termite activity. Other chemical and physical barriers can also be used alone or in combination with these measures. These options include chemical barriers around posts, stumps and strip footings as well as crushed granite or stainless steel mesh.

Support posts, poles and stumps should be made from termite resistant or timber treated to H5, steel stumps and brackets or continuous concrete stumps/footings.

 Ant caps – are formed from galvanised sheet metal or stainless steel mesh, and are inserted between the lower floor framing timbers and the supporting stumps, piers or masonry bases. They are designed to force termites out into the open, as in order to gain access to the timber above, they must go around the edge of the steel ant cap.  This will require the construction of an exposed mud gallery that will be detected during a routine inspection

.  Termites are forced to build over the capping.

Slab on ground construction

A range of chemical and physical barrier systems can be used to provide termite protection for slab on ground construction. Most physical barrier systems prevent access to the building by pests the size of termites:

• Monolithic slabs – The unbroken slab from edge to edge provides a significant barrier. There should be no cracks or construction joints. Any slab penetrations such as plumbing, must be surrounded by a close fitting collar that is cast into the concrete to prevent termite ingress between the pipe and the concrete. The edges of these slabs that are permanently exposed to view can also provide for physical inspection and detection.

• Stainless steel Mesh barriers – (‘TermiMesh’) consist of a fine woven marine grade stainless steel mesh. The mesh is too small for them to pass through and too tough for them to chew through. Where there are discontinuities in the slab (for example where the footings are not integral with the slab), stainless steel mesh can be used to prevent termite access. The mesh is cast into the concrete on each side of the discontinuity. Similar techniques can be used at pipe penetrations through the slab. A tight fitting collar on the pipe links the mesh with the pipe, and the other edge of the mesh is cast into the concrete. A partial system is also commonly used, which involves the construction of a perimeter barrier only. This partial system seals the exterior brickwork to the footing and can be used in conjunction with other under slab protection systems. The mesh can also be formed into ‘socks’ for stump/post applications.

• Graded stone barriers – (‘GranitGard’) is finely crushed and accurately graded stone chips. The chips are too large for a termite to move, and leave voids that are too small for them to fit through. GranitGard can be placed around posts and footings or under the full extent of the slab, so that it will protect any crack that may open in the slab. A small recess around pipes will enable the stone to protect penetrations due to plumbing.

• Chemical barriers – provide a zone of treated soil  either under or around footings and slabs. Termiticides  degrade over time and need to be replenished after 5-10 years. Proprietary systems such as ‘Camilleri Underslab" Termx’, ‘Termguard’, ‘Altis’ etc systems overcome this problem by using a reticulated pipe network under the slab that enables termiticide to be renewed at regular intervals over the life of the building. This will ensure that the termiticide remains an active treated zone underneath the slab, impeding termites from gaining access through cracks in the slab or gaps between the slab and plumbing. The termiticides are applied under pressure at the completion of construction by alicensed pest controller and on a scheduled basis thereafter. Where a reticulated system has not been installed, a chemical perimeter barrier can be maintained by injecting termiticide  into the ground at close centres around the building perimeter (drilling through paving if necessary). In these cases, it can prove very difficult to inject poison under the interior of the slab.

Treatment Equipment

 As no 2 jobs are the same a variety of equipment is needed to do a treatment,Thats why we have a special trailer setup just for Termite work.

 We carry the following equipment >3 Hammer Drills,Jackhammer,Concrete Saw,picks,shovels,handtools.Everything needed to do the the right the first time.

If you find Termite activity! Do not disturb them just  call us!     You should have regular inspections of all timber and possible termite entry points. We can identify timber problems and advise you of the solutions. If you find termite damage in your home, call us and do not disturb the termites. We will investigate the size and nature of the infestation and advise you on the available options.