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Alice Pest Control has been treating termites in Alice Springs, and the Wider Central Australian Region,    affectionately known as the Red Centre since 1984

Termite Species

Coptotmermes  - found in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek     

Coptotermes acinaciformis is found throughout mainland Australia and causes more damage to property than any other species.  It is aggressive in its search for food and will attack many items other than wood in its search for cellulose based materials.It will damage wall lining boards, electrical wiring and even personal possessions.  Colonies often nest in trees or stumps but can form nests without ground contact

Nasititermes - Found in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek

There are several species of Nasutitermes which may damage timber in service.  Soldier termites of these species are distinguished by their pointed heads.   Nasutitermes exitiosus usually builds a low mound and is more common across Southern Australia.  Nasutitermes walkeri builds part of its colony as a nest on the branch of a tree; the rest is constructed in the ground beneath it.  This genus will mainly attack hardwood such as that found in fences and timber deckingg

Mastotermes - Not found in Alice Springs, but very common in Tennant Creek

Mastotermes darwiniensis, the Giant Northern Termite, is the most primitive of the commercially significant species.  It shows an ability for sub-colonies to split from the main colony and produce queens, without a mating flight.  Eventually a network of interconnecting sub-colonies is established, which makes control difficult.  These large termites can devastate buildings, bridges, poles, trees and crops such as sugarcane.   Mastotermes is found mainly north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Schedorhinotermes - Found in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek

This species of termites can cause damage approaching the severity caused by Coptotermes.   They build fragile nests in places such as old tree trumps, in timber buried in the ground, in filled patios and under fireplaces.  The damage they cause is distinctive.   Although it can be severe it is often patchy, with huge gouges taken out of sound timber, particularly around nails in floor boards or other timbers.  Schedorhinotermes colonies contain major and minor soldiers

Heterotermes - Found in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek

Heterotermes spp. Are a significant structural pest through Queensland,  northern WA and parts of the NT.  It is only in southern Australia where they are a minor nuisance.  They are generally considered to do little damage to timber in service, restricting their attention to weathered timber fences, decking and posts.  Occasionally they can cause superficial damage to sound timber.

Termite Nest

Termites build a nest that contains the queen and king, the nursery and a large proportion of the soldiers and workers.  Some species build a hard-shelled mound above or partly below the ground.  Others build their nests in the trunk of a tree or below ground in the root crown.  A nest can contain several million termites.

Nesting Habits

The nesting habits of subterranean termites can be described in two basic groups:

1. Multi-site nesters (Heterotermes, Schedorhinotermes, Mastotermes)
2. Central-site nesters (Coptotermes, Nasutitermes)

Multi-site nesters utilise many timber sources for nesting and they can move quickly to a new food source.  They are able to reproduce quickly using  “ergatoid” or multiple reproductive forms so each new timber source located becomes a potential nest.   These species can therefore set up multiple colonies within the same house.

Central-site nesters generally have one large queen and a central nest position.  The activity of the colony is to bring back food to this nest.  They can infest multiple timber food sources but cannot reproduce within those timbers.  When a moisture source is available within a house structure, central-site nesters often establish their colony inside the building without any ground contact.

Foraging behaviour

Central-site nesters show definite seasonal variation with their foraging behaviour.  Generally, foraging activity is greater in the warmer months and reduced in cooler winter periods.  The available moisture can also limit the foraging activity of these species.   Generally distant food sources show greater foraging activity in warmer periods and food sources close to the nest are more active in the cooler months.

Multi-site nesters do not have the same restrictions as they can move their nest to adjacent food sources.  This type of foraging activity often leads to splitting of one colony into several distinct colonies within the same area.   The activity of these species quickly multiplies in a disturbed environment such as recently cleared land or fire damaged property.

Termite leads

Termites are prone to desiccation.   All significant species that attack buildings construct a system of sealed leads that connect the nest to the food sources.   Termites can move safely from the nest to the food and back, in an environment that will protect them against exposure to atmospheric conditions, predators and even pesticides.

Damage to timber and other materials

Timber is the main source of cellulose sought by the commercially important species.  Sometimes other, non cellulosic materials are damaged because they are close to feeding activity.  Electrical wiring, switches and plug fittings are often attached and severely damaged by termites.   When natural food supplies such as trees run out, the termites will turn to timber in service.  Using covered mud tunnels to link the food supply to the nest, termites will work in timbers that are hidden in floor, wall or ceiling spaces and the damage is often not discovered until structural failure takes place or the termites reveal themselves in some way.   Termites can cause extensive damage and more than one colony may attack a building at the same time.

In order to minimise the extent of termite damage it is recommended that regular inspections be carried out by:

ALICE PEST CONTROL OR TENNANT CREEK PEST CONTROL.  NOTHING BEATS EXPERIENCE.

Termite is the common name of a group of chemically complex insects that live in communities as ants do. They have long been known as white ants however this is not entirely accurate for termites are like ants only in their habits of living together and that they are small in size. Actually termites are more closely related to cockroaches and grasshoppers.

Their mouth parts, antennae, thick waists, primitive wings and other features resemble those of cockroaches.  Termites are found almost all over Australia.  Some termites build huge mounds of bits of soil mixed with wood saliva. These nests may be 6 metres high. The inside of the mound is divided into various chambers and galleries. In the centre is a closed cell where the queen is kept. The queens’ body goes under extraordinary change. Her body swells up to hold thousands of eggs. The queen lays the eggs at the rate of several thousand a day.

Inspections

A termite inspection is an inspection of the building and property including roof void, sub-floor, internal and external timbers,  trees and fences and all other buildings within the property boundaries. It deals with the detection or non-detection of live termite activity, and evidence of termite damage, and includes details of areas of risk. Alice Pest Control & Tennant Creek Pest Control, will provide the client with an 8 page written report, detailing all areas where termite damage, or active termites were located, including treatment options and recommendations.

A pre-purchase inspection should be carried out before a property is purchased, and is an inspection of the building and property including roof void, sub-floor, internal and external timbers, and trees and fences within the property boundaries.  It deals with the detection or non-detection of termite damage, live termite activity, borer activity, timber decay, chemical delignification, and evidence of damage caused by these pests.

Alice pest control & tenant creek pest control will provide the client with an 8 page written report, detailing all areas in which the particular timber pest was found, amount of damage present, recommendations including details of all areas of risk.

F.A.Q.'s

Everything looks OK, how do I know if I have termites?

You may not see any sign of termites until it’s too late. The only way you can be really sure you don't have termites is to have an annual Timber Pest Inspection carried out by Alice Pest Control or Tennant Creek Pest Control.

How are you different to other pest management companies?

We are environmental pest controllers with specialized training in this field.

(long standing members of the environmental pest managers association of Australia)

We are committed to making a difference, and our main focus after detection is on risk reduction.

We put your health, the Environment, and Safety first. The quality of our products, are  first class, in all these areas. We choose to utilize only ensystix  products.

The Exterra termite baiting system,( which is the most effective and safest termite baiting system on the market) is our preferred existing termite colony eradication tool.

It has never failed to eliminate the termite colony present, on any sites that we have treated over a ten year period, here in Alice Springs.   The bait is no more toxic to humans than common table salt, but is devastating on eliminating termites.                          (refer to our section on products used)

What's the first step?

The first step is a thorough, detailed, systematic inspection of your home.

How long does it take?

Depending on the site, inspection time varies from site to site. One may be a metal framed shed, the next may a timber framed house, with -out buildings. Alice pest control averages between 450-500 termite inspections each year.

So we have a lot of experience in this field.

Will I get value for money?

What is your home worth? Can you afford to not give your home a 6/12 monthly termite inspection?.

It's a critical part of maintaining your home.

Please Contact our office on 08 8952 1451 for an inspection.

Will I have to leave the house during the inspection?

No. The inspection can be undertaken with you at home.
What pests do you deal with?

Pests are simply creatures in the wrong place at the wrong time. We have on-site action plans for all pests including Termites, Borers, Fungal Decay, Cockroaches, Ants (bigheaded &black)  Rodents, spiders, nuisance bees, bedbugs, and all other types of pests that may invade the home.

I'm building a new house, or extending my current house. What should I do to keep termites out of my new home?

There are many options available for minimizing the risk of termite entry into your new home or renovation. It will depend largely on the construction of your property.  We will recommend the best options for your specific circumstance.

The methods that we recommend may include physical barriers, Chemical barriers or combinations to ensure that you have the best protection available.

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