"Austrapest has been established fo over 20 years"

As part of Austrapest's integrated approach to Pest Management, Austrapest service will

- during Ausrapest inspection give advice on general maintenance for discouraging termites ( Termite activity and fungal decay are encouraged by inadequate subfloor ventilation. When building, choose termite resistant timbers : eg: White cypress pine, treated pine or Colourbond.)

- When necessary we can install brass mesh ventilators in external foundation walls to improve air flow.

-Austrapest can remove formwork timber and loose wood. This helps reduce the risk of attack from termites.

Non Chemical/ cultural Control

As Patrick says after inspecting several thousand houses over the last 20 years “ there are two major sins that result in timber pest infestation in buildings”:

Timber in contact with the ground and dampness problems.

Avoid all these whether you have a termite problem or not:

1. Timbers in contact with the ground:

- External cladding abutting the ground (and that includes fibro, weatherboards,etc..)

- formwork timbers

- Wood piers or uprights under buildings with ground and floor contact.

- Timbers frames close/ in contact with the ground (especially in split levels, low subfloor)

- Untreated garden beds and hardwood sleepers.

- Firewood in contact with the ground and the walls of the buildings.

- Tree stumps in garden.

- Dead trees.

2. Dampness:

- Inadequate Subfloor ventilation

- Inadequate subfloor and external drainage

- Hot water system or air conditioner overflow outside the walls of the building.

- Unsealed bathrooms and kitchens.

- Defective gutters and downpipes

- Inadequately sealed and painted external timbers.

3. Other physical problem which may :

- Inadequate ground clearance under buildings (minimum 400mm from lowest timber to soil is Australian Standard requirement).

- Inadequate access available for inspection to all areas of roof and subfloor sections

- External ground level higher than the internal floor level.

- Concealed edge of the concrete slab

- No ant caps.

All the above are all highly conducive to termite attack and wood decay (see builder for alternatives).

4 Other household tips which will reduce the risk of pest attack

- Only treated timbers (Copper Chrome Arsenate Salts treated timbers or treated pine) or resistant materials should be used outside. Paint sawn edges of treated pine with Copper Naphtalene (fences, pergolas, garden borders, sleepers)

- Wood poles and steps, which are in direct contact with the ground, encourage pest problems. It is a better practice to mount them on metal stirrups at least 100mm from the wood base to the ground.

- Keep external door jamb bolted to the walls and cut base 25-50mm above the ground. This will reduce the risk of wood decay and termite attack.

- Have gate/ fence posts attached to the house bolted to the walls and off the ground.

- The installation of removable skirtings boards/ door jamb architrave (screw/clip/magnet fixed), with wall cladding cut at least one inch above the base plates is suggested to allow for inspection and early detection of termite activity/ entry points to wall frames (advisable especially for houses on concrete slab with a history of termite problems).

Note

Unless capable or qualified of correcting most of the above problems, seek the help of licensed Tradesmen.

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