Introduction to Termites
Posted by Pest Control
Termites are a nightmare for home owners. These dreaded little pests that devalue the home affect about 1 in every 3 Australian residences. Surprisingly, there are hundreds of species of termites that can be found in Australia. Even more surprising is the fact that only a few dozen of these species are actually harmful to the home and depending on where you are living this number can be filtered down further.
Some of the most common termite species are:
- Dry-wood termites
- Mastotermitidae termites
- Subterranean termites
- Dampwood termites
Though termites look like ants, they are not related. In fact termites and ants are enemies at best, and termites do their best to avoid ants as they will be eaten.
In Australia, timber homes are damaged by the subterranean termite. These insects have the ability to move up to 100 metres from their main nest which provides a fairly large target area. The sybterranean termites live in colonies that may contain hundreds of thousands of termites and their nests may be deep in the ground or in the base of trees.This species of termites require an underground system of tunnels that protects them from predators such as ants and also the dry environment outside. So if you have any elements that suit their living, your house may be a suitable target for subterranean termites.