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Termites have been a serious problem even in the past. In 1992, it became a law in Australia that every new house needs to have termite treatment. 

In fact, it is estimated that 1 in every 5 houses are exposed to termite infestation and damage. To protect your house, a termite treatment is therefore a must.

There are two termite treatment options that can be applied. You can go for chemical treatment, where we dig a trench and inject the ground for every 200mm with Termidor, then backfill the area. There are also physical barriers like brands Kordon, Homeguards and treatments like T2 Timbers. 

If you’re building a new home or doing a substantial renovation, make sure to apply the appropriate physical or chemical barriers. It’s easier to install them during construction although some can be retrofitted. 

It is not advised that you do DIY termite treatment. Hiring a professional termite control expert for your pre-construction work is really necessary.

As property owner, you wouldn’t want to miss this very crucial step in protecting your home so make sure not to skip on termite treatment. 

But here’s a WARNING!

There’s been TERMITE MYTHS going around.

While you wanted to make sure your house is protected from termites, you might have been fed with some wrong information – which can really be costly.

They say brick houses on a concrete slab are safe from termites. BUT termites do not only attack wood. Termites can also get through concrete. In fact, they only need a 1mm crack; that’s too small for you to even notice. 

But as soon as more and more of them pass through the crack (and remember, there can be hundreds if not thousands of termites in one colony), the crack gets larger, creating damage.

 Termites also attack veneer walls, skirting boards, and timber door frames! 

While you could’ve been told that T2 Timbers are fine and you need not worry, this is also WRONG.

Over time, the barrier installed can tear and termites could get in.

So while you think you are fully protected from termites, it’s frustrating that this is only a FALSE sense of security where the owner thinks he was protected from termite attack when he is NOT. 

This is why an annual termite inspection is necessary. CSIRO recommends that a termite inspection should be carried out at least once as a bare minimum. Call 0407 065 413.

Have your place inspected to ensure your property is not being attacked by termites. When left unchecked, the damage costs will continuously increase for as long as the termites are undetected. 

What kind of damage can termites do?

Termites can cause severe damage to homes. 

Houses made of wood are not the only structures susceptible to termite damage. Termite infestations can also be found in homes made from other material. Even those brick or concrete houses can be attacked by termites. 

Termite damage can be observed on cabinets, floors, ceilings, walls, wooden furniture, among others. 

Severe termite damage is dangerous as it affects the structural integrity of your home and even causes ceilings or floors to collapse. 

Termite damage signs to look out for

Termites cannot survive in the open that’s why you don’t easily detect their presence unless you see signs of the actual damage they’ve caused.

These signs can indicate that termites may be present.

• Faint tapping or chewing noises behind walls
• Damp areas or moisture stains on walls
• Soft floor boards
• Mud trails leading up the sides of buildings
• Painted walls that bubble and peel, also known as paint blisters
• Blisters on door or window frames
• Dried mud in door or window frames
• Build up of earthy materials around power points
• Appearance of water damage
• Seeing swarms of termites, especially in spring

Do not disregard any one of these. As soon as you notice these termite damage signs in your home, contact a pest control expert to do termite inspection ASAP. 

A1 Pest Control Canberra offers both visual inspection and thermal imaging which uses state-of-the-art technology for termite detection. Our thermal camera registers the heat radiated by the termites which guarantees a higher accuracy for detecting them.

How much does termite damage cost?

Termite damage repair costs an average of $10,000. The damage can occur very quickly and goes undetected until a significant problem has been made. The bad news is – these forms of termite damage are not covered by your insurance.

What do you do if you have termite damage?

Take note of the things you SHOULD NOT DO when you spot signs of termite damage. 

1. DO NOT disturb them or investigate further – this may frighten them off and make it harder to detect them.
2. DO NOT try to kill them with pest sprays or DIY methods – the only effective termite treatment are those coming from licensed pest control companies.
3. DO NOT IGNORE THEM!

You already know the danger of ignoring termite presence so never do that. Instead, here are the things that you SHOULD DO.

1. STAY CALM.
2. Take action right away.
3. Contact a nearby pest control company. You can call our team of licensed termite control specialists on 0407 065 413. Our experienced technicians will pay a visit to perform a full inspection of your home.
4. Have the termites properly treated with the right products. Our team uses effective and eco-friendly products that are safe for you and your pets.

When we do the termite inspection, we request you to be present so we can explain the inspection process, extent of the termite activity, as well as the termite treatment options (and how they work).

After termite damage is treated, we recommend that you have a termite inspection at least once a year to help prevent termite problems from reoccurring.

CSIRO recommends an annual termite inspection in every home to ensure that termite infestation doesn’t create terrible damage to property. 

As you’ve learned above, termites are not only attracted to wood but other materials, too. So it’s not always a guarantee that since your house is made of bricks or concrete, you’re safe from termite damage already.

REMEMBER – they only need a 1mm crack to get into your home, then create thousands worth of damage later on.

Call our team on 0407 065 413 so we could discuss how we can help you.

 

 

People type in Google all the time what are bed bugs? And this is usually because they have unexplained spotting on the bedsheets or pajamas or they are allergic reaction to the bites that appear as red welts.

But before diving into a full pest inspection. Below is what to look for when you have some evidence of bed bugs. These are what most bed bug sufferers see or feel when they are unsure if it’s a bed bug infestation or some other pest like dust mites.

• Bites on skin (normally in pattern)
• Black and red stains in bedding (this is feces of bed bug)
• Bed bug carcasses which look like shells
• Black spots on walls
• Actual little bed bugs crawling around

Description of what are bed bugs

Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed.

After feeding, however, their bodies swell and are a reddish color. Bedbugs do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings and find a place to hide in cracks of old furniture, in the crevices of mattress’s or in the bedhead.

The Female Bed Bug Breeding Cycle

This is where it starts to get very interesting as we discuss the breeding cycle, you see female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, over a lifetime.

Immature bedbugs, called nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Under favorable conditions the bugs can develop fully in as little as a month and produce three or more generations per year.

What Happens When Bedbugs Bite

Bedbugs are active at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They feed by first anesthetize

the area they have chosen so you don’t feel a thing normally before piercing the skin and withdrawing blood through an elongated beak.

The bugs feed from three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed.

Most bedbug bites are painless at first, but later turn into itchy welts which the victim cannot help but keep scratching.

Unlike flea bites that are mainly around the ankles, bedbug bites are on any area of skin exposed while sleeping. Also, the bites do not have a red spot in the center like flea bites do.

People who don’t realize they have a bedbug infestation may attribute the itching and welts to other causes, such as mosquitoes.

To confirm bedbug bites, you must find and identify the bugs themselves.

Common Hiding Areas For Bed Bugs

You will need to carry our a full inspection, if not you will do your treatment then miss a nest or hiding location. Below are the most popular hiding spots for bed bugs and should be your first inspection points.

• Mattress
• Boxspring
• Mattress encasements
• Pillows and pillow cases
• Sofa and cushions
• Recliners and furniture
• Bed posts and wooden frames
• Dresser drawers
• Base boards
• Electrical wall outlets
• Window sills
• Picture frames

How to get rid of them is a real task.

While you may have treated your bed or couch. What about the sheets that may have eggs which you can’t see. This is where a common bed bug infestation gets re-born again. 

Below is all the things you will want to strip off and wash in high heat or steam heat. When drying it is hottest cycle on the dryer will go for the larger items they will need direct sunlight

• Bed linens
• Linens left in closets
• Pillows
• Mattress encasements
• Couch cushion covers
• Clothing in the dresser
• Towels in bath

To protect yourself further from re-infestation when you empty the vacuum cleaner ensure that you place in plastic bag and tie the top before throwing into the garbage.

CONCLUSION

Now you know what are bed bugs and more importantly how to get rid of them! The washing and cleaning process above should be repeated in 10-14 days to ensure that the bed bugs have gone.

But if this looks like a whole lot of work (which it is!) you can simply call our team at A1 Pest Control Canberra on 0407 065 413 and we will come out to treat your property and advise of follow up treatment.

FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL AND THERMAL IMAGING TERMITE INSPECTION

Which is better visual or thermal imaging termite inspection? Many people get confused on which termite inspection is better for their property and I want to explain the difference.

Basically, everyone needs a termite inspection annually to give peace of mind that there are no termites eating away and destroying your property. What is known about the Termite Queen is she is capable of laying up to 30,000 live termites a day! They are frightening figures if you multiply that by 365 days of the year.

Let me explain the difference in the termite inspection methods.

VISUAL TERMITE INSPECTION TOOLS
* Tapping tool
* Torch
* Moisture meter

The technician will use the above tools and feel and touch to detect abnormalities in woodwork in the roof, doors, windows, floor, walls, fence line and under the house.

THERMAL IMAGING INSPECTION
Picks up heat and movement of termites, sees through walls and can also locate leaks behind walls and electrical faults.
This termite inspection would be ideal inspection for people buying a home so you don’t buy someone else’s problems!

Also the thermal imaging inspection is more thorough as it can also get to hard to get to places where there is no crawl room for the technician and weather is not a problem either as the technician can just point the camera at the area on the roof or flooring and take his reading from those areas.

In the video Shannon explain about termite inspections. Call for all of your termite inspections 0407 065 413
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