Dry wood termites found lurking in North Brisbane.
After recently purchasing a home the owner decided to remove the carpets and to her dismay there were damaged timbers in all but the kitchen and laundry. Samples of the termite and the frass were delivered to dpi research centre at salisbury for identification.
Now your probably asking why would a pest control professional need some body to identify these, well its simple there are many varieties of termites and the subtly in variations require the opinion of a professional entomologist.
Termites are bad enough though dry wood termites are particularly scary as other subterranean species need to have contact with the ground. That is not the case with dry wood termites making detection much more difficult until significant damage has been made. As these termites need no contact with the ground they can be in any section of the house when they decide to move in, so they could be between levels or in the roof just about anywhere and if they aren’t in an area thats easy to see then its likely the colony will grow and spread without detection.
We received some good news as it turns out to be our native Coptotermes Primus, so as far as drywood termites go things aren’t too bad as colonies of Coptotermes Primus generally only consist of a couple of hundred and are not as destructive when compared to the West Indian drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis, which is considered the world’s most destructive drywood termite and has caused considerable economic damage to timber-in-service wherever it has become established. The only places in Australia where this has occurred to date are Brisbane and several coastal areas in south-east Queensland.
Termite treatment for drywood termites can be quiet intensive, so if you suspect anything termites be sure have it properly investigated by professional pest control. Early detection and termite treatment will save a great deal of stress and money should they occur.
Buzzkill offers free termite assessment for those who believe they have found termites in Brisbane, so if in doubt dont hesitate to call your local pest control company to see if they can help you with termite identification and/or termite treatments.