What Not To Do When You Find Termites

[separator top=”-55″ bottom=”10″ style=””]
When termites are found by homeowners, the thing they seem to do is attack the place where the termite nest is located.
The homeowners throw everything they have in and around their home at the nest. These spontaneous attacks can involve everything and anything, from surface sprays bought in their local store to attempts to drown the nest with water.

Then they congratulate themselves on their efforts and declare that anyone can be a pest controller. “Look at what we did! We saw the termites nest and sprayed it with a bit of surface spray.” What they did was pull the nest out, take it into the back garden, throw petrol all over it and burn the little critters.

“I told you we didn’t need a termite guy to come here just for that. They’ll never come back after what we did.”

Then they patch up the hole where the termites used to be, jump back into their chairs and turn on the telly.

If this was the right way to deal with termites (also known as white ants), that would be great, and we could all do it.

The Right Way of Dealing with Termites

Unfortunately, it’s a bit more complicated than that. To ensure that you really do get rid of termites, you should get a termite inspection and treatment by a properly qualified and licensed termite technician.

All pest control technicians have to go on a very intense course, specified by the Queensland Government Department of Health, to obtain a Pest Control Licence.

The thing that most people don’t know is that there are two parts to a pest licence. The primary licence qualifies a pest controller to handle general pests, such as cockroaches, silverfish, ants, spider and rodents. But to handle termites, an extra course, called timber pests, is required. Only when this course has been completed is a technician qualified to handle termite treatments.

So, let us revisit our DIY homeowners and their termites. They think that their problem is solved. But the biggest problem of all is still there; that is the path by which the termites are entering their home.

With this path still open, the termites just start in on another area, or even return to their original site. Although the DIY attack wiped out a lot of termites, there are plenty more to take their place. They can be back and up to full munch mode again in a very short time.

So before you spot them again, they can possibly do even more damage than the first time. Hopefully, this time DIY is abandoned and our homeowners send for a professional to sort it out.