Two main methods termite treatment zones and bait stations.

There are DIY types and professionally installed stations available. Some inventive people make their own with varying degrees of success.

Professionally installed termite baiting systems are essential in terms of eradicating termites / white ants as experience with termite behavior is necessary to be successful and to eliminate the threat of damage.

The basic principle is to attract termites to the station and then feed the white ants / termites a bait that they will take back to the nest and thereby contaminate the nest and kill the queen. A bait station consists of a plastic container approximately 200mm long and 75mm diameter filled with cardboard or softwood timber.

A strict system of regular monitoring and maintaining these stations is a most important aspect for measuring termite activity. Once activity is detected a special bait is introduced to feed the nest and subsequent colony and therefore eliminate the infestation.

DIY people can call a licensed termite professional to administer the bait for them. The purchase of the most affective baits is regulated and is only available to licensed technicians.

The main advantage of termite bait stations is that no chemical is used around the house or property until active termites are found and this can appeal to some people.

The main disadvantage is the spacing between the stations as they are spaced at approximately three metres apart. They are not a barrier but aim to detect termites that pass by while on the way to the house if they are monitored and maintained correctly. Therefore if not monitored by an expert regularly then no useful result will be gained by using bait stations. They do not function automatically and they need an expert to oversee them or you might as well have toilet rolls stuck in the ground. We have seen many homes infested with termites with bait stations only a metre away.

An annual termite inspection is recommended for bait stations and termite treatment zones

The garden is the nursery and breeding ground of termites. Most people see termites in their garden and think that they are safely contained in it. Nothing can be further from the truth. Termite colonies are like octopus tentacles and if you see termites in one particular place you are only seeing one of the many tentacles.

As termites live in the top 200mm of the soil and are attracted to the huge amount of timber in the home the stations are not a perfect system when it comes to protecting the home, they can however, be a good alternative for those people who are adverse to the use of chemicals. It must be noted that chemical treatments are required should activity be discovered in the bait stations.

An annual termite inspection is recommended for bait stations and termite treatment zones.

A termite treatment zone is a complete encirclement of the house with a trench, back filled then flooded with an approved low toxic termiticide. Where the house has concrete areas up against the house, drilling is required every 200mm and they are injected with termiticide and then capped.

Termite treatment zones are a stand alone system and no maintenance is required as long as they are not disturbed in any way ( plumber or electrician’s crossing the zone with pipes etc.). They need recharging every eight to ten years.

If termites are in your home or yard a termite inspection is essential to establish where they are, what species are present and the extent of the damage. A professional will treat the colony then recommend bait stations or a termite treatment zone as longer term protection.