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Environpest Termite Treatments

Environpest residual termite treatments are Australian Standard compliant, and are extremely thorough. Subterranean termites can occur to a free standing single brick/block home with foundations through at least 5 (five) entry points. These are (1) Between the top of the footings and the finished soil/slab height. (90% plus) (2) Through the slab/footing joint. (3) Through cracking of the concrete slab. (4) Alongside the slab penetrations (water, plumbing, electrical, communications etc). (5) Through a failing of the foundation (footings).

It all starts with an inspection of the home as per Australian Standard 4349.3 by a properly qualified technician to see what the extent of termite activity and damage is. During the inspection, the design and construction of the property can be assessed, and a termite protection plan for the individual property can be prepared. 

If sufficient termite activity is found that will allow us to treat the nest by a dusting technique, then we would recommend dusting the termite activity with Bayer Intrigue (an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) based dust). Statistics are showing it produces a much better result  with the termite nests than arsenic trioxide, and is much safer. Once activity has ceased, residual treatment or physical protection can proceed (Sometimes the long term answer can simply be re-setting a timber post in steel stirrups at the correct height, or altering a soil height. Chemical protection may not be required).

With brick on slab construction, the mortar joints are not termite proof, and it is absolutely necessary to trench the soil perimeter to at least 50mm below the top of the footings, and around any plumbing etc passing through the foundations. We replace the soil with a sandy loamy soil that holds the termiticide effectively, so that labelled expected protection periods are achievable. Trenching to the footings is so important, we even bought our own excavator. Residual treatment costs to the soil areas are typically $45.00 per lineal metre using Biflex, assuming a standard footing. Prices can vary if unusual footings are found in the course of treatment. For more information, please visit our Variations Why page. Our Large Retaining Wall page will give you an idea of what can be found.

Our preferred termiticide for soil areas is FMC's Biflex, applied at it’s higher application rate. It has a labelled expected protection period of at least 10 years, but the manufacturer has now achieved 11 years in open uncovered plots in the CSIRO test centres without failure at their lower application rate. For further information on this termiticide, please visit our Interesting Links page. For more information, please visit our Which Termiticide page.

Concrete areas can be drilled, but Australian Standard and label compliant volumes must be achieved to stand any chance of treatment success. With drilled areas, the labelled volumes are 10 litres of termiticide for each metre drilled. Drill spacings must be no more than 300mm apart. We prefer to use non-repellent Termidor for concrete areas treated by a drilling and injection technique. 

When we treat an area by a drilling and injection technique, there can be materials under the slab that prevent the termiticide from forming a full and continuous barrier. When the termiticide is injected under the concrete slab, it will travel from where it's been injected by the easiest pathway it can find. When termites forage in the soil, they too forage at random by the easiest pathway they can find. Not being able to sense the Termidor, they will most likely come into contact with, and become affected by the Termidor. Reports are also encouraging that Termidor is also very aggressive towards the termite nests.  For more information, please visit our Why Termite Treatments Fail page.

The newer termiticides have a weakness, in that they don’t have an appreciable repellency or vapour action in the soil that the earlier termiticides did. They must be formed physically continuously in order for them to form an effective barrier. Please see our Termite Treatment Plumbing page to see the attention to detail that's required. If an Australian Standard compliant perimeter treatment is installed to the exterior of the home as above, it will prevent termite attack from the exterior of the home, providing there are no materials under slab areas that prevent the termiticide forming a physically continuous barrier. It will not prevent termite attack from a failure of the footing, footing/slab joint, or a failure of the slab itself. These are building issues that we can protect against, but more invasive treatment is required at additional cost.  

Many of Environpest's clients seem to be people who have previously had treatments carried out by other firms that have failed. By an attention to detail in achieving label and Australian Standard compliant volumes and site preparation, we quietly provide long term termite protection for our clients. 

In the course of some treatments, issues can be discovered that should be referred to the Building Services Authority for adjudication. We are experienced in this area, and for more information, please visit our BSA Case Histories Page.

Another option is to install Termite Bait Boxes to the exterior of the home, and when termites occur to the boxes, dusting them with Bayer Intrigue. This won't provide residual protection, but it will kill the attacking nest, and can be a valid technique where the cost of installing residual termite barriers is high (a home built into the side of a hill, with the internal retaining walls failing). For more information and a photo, have a look at our Termite Bait Box page.

  © Mark Porter 2000

Termite treatments done properly

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