Termite Prevention in Albury, Wodonga, Rutherglen, and Surrounding Areas

Limitations of chemical barriers.

There are often many limitations to achieving a good result with chemical soil barriers:

• Access restrictions (low subfloor clearance under suspended floors)
• We don’t know what is underneath concrete paths when drilling. There could be builder’s rubble, clay soil, or cavities where subsidence has occurred.
• Concrete slab type. In-fill slabs require drilling of the interior slab edge, which is impossible due to fixed cupboards, carpets, tiles, etc.
• Garden beds against houses. Frequent watering of gardens can dilute the termiticide and reduce its effectiveness. 

Termite monitoring and baiting systems rely on regular placement of termite monitoring stations that are dug into the ground around the perimeter of the property and in high risk areas.

As termites forage close to your house, the idea is that they will find the termite bait stations first, so that they can be baited – thus, eliminating the colony before it reaches the house.

Termite monitoring systems have advantages over chemical soil treatments, as they are not reliant on access to entry points. They’re a good option when a chemical soil treatment cannot be guaranteed.

They’re also good at reducing the population of termites on your property over time, as you will actually eliminate the termite colonies (rather than just stopping them getting in to your house).

Only our Pre-construction Barriers are guaranteed to work.

All post construction termite barriers have limitations due to the construction of the house.

This is why we add our warranty on the top of our Interception & Baiting Systems to add value to the system and make them more attractive to homeowners. We choose to wear the cost of treatment if termites get through.

Our company uses the best products in the pest control industry for termite prevention. We stay up to date with changes to the industry and have changed our favourite products as new ones have come on the market.

There are many consumer-quality termite monitoring and baiting systems available on the Australian market. These include (but are not limited) to Nemesis, Superway, Termite Mansion, and others.

There is very little difference between these consumer systems and professional timber-only systems like Exterra or Termatrix. The professional systems will have a higher quality plastic and have special attractants, but at the end of the day it’s mostly just timber in the ground. As long as they’re easy to check, they’re just as effective as each other.

The major difference is that Trelona ATBS and Sentricon AlwaysActive are professional pre-baited systems, and are much more effective than timber-based systems (whether they’re consumer or professional). at the time of writing, there is no pre-baited system available to consumers.

Sentricon AlwaysActive and Trelona ATBS are relatively new pre-baited systems. Sentricon AlwaysActive was the first in Australia, with Trelona ATBS following a couple years later in 2020.

Exterra is a timber-only system. These systems are cheaper than pre-baited systems, but are less reliable and have to be checked more frequently.

Read a detailed comparison of each system here. 

Absolutely. With the newer ‘pre-baited’ systems like Trelona ATBS and Sentricon AlwaysActive, there’s more margin for error than older timber-based systems. If you misidentify the termites or miss them, at least they are still eating bait.

We often encourage our clients to inspect their systems themselves if they are budget-conscious. However, we only guarantee the system if we are servicing them regularly. If termites get past the system into your house, we will treat the termites at no cost. This guarantee is not available if you are servicing the system yourself.

Yes, we can.

If we are actively monitoring your system, we replace lids at no additional cost.

If you are self-monitoring, we can supply the lids to you at cost.

Every system is slightly different (there are many different products), but generally three metres apart is the standard in Australia.

We exceed this standard and generally install our stations 2.5m apart.

Yes, we can take over a system that was installed by another firm.

We just have to come and have a look at it first to make sure that it’s up to scratch. We can then quote you for repairs, replacements, or fixes if the system is in a poor condition or was not installed to standard.

After we’re happy with it, we can take over the regular servicing for you.

Yes, we do.

Before pumping up a system, we will need the original Certificate of Installation. This is essential because it will have a map of installed areas and the products used to charge the system originally, so we know how much to use for each fill point.

We are able to fill systems without a Certificate of Installation in some cases, but this often relies on guesswork.

We do not guarantee or offer a warranty on the reticulation system unless we have installed it ourselves. Although we can pump it up, we cannot guarantee another firm’s original work.

1. Remove timber from contact with the ground. This can include scrap timbers, stored timber, firewood, decorative logs, garden edging, etc. If you have a suspended floor (on stumps), you should get underneath and clear out any scrap timbers here as well. Removing timber from the ground helps to discourage termites from foraging in the area of your house.

2. Fix timber building elements that are in direct earth contact. These can include pergola/verandah posts, baseboards, battens, formwork, etc. Termites can use these to make concealed entry into structures.

3. Fix water leaks. Termites are attracted to areas with high moisture, so reducing the amount of water around, you can help make the building less attractive. This can include leaking gutters, downpipes, dodgy flashing, showers, taps, etc.

4. Improve your soil drainage. Water pooling underneath or against your house during rain can be very attractive to termites. Talk to a plumber about drainage options.

5. Improve your subfloor ventilation (if your house is on stumps). An easy way to know if you have inadequate ventilation is mould growth or a ‘musty’ smell in the subfloor. Consult a builder about installing more vents.

6. Arrange for a termite management system to be installed. This is the most effective way to prevent termite attack. Talk to us about your options.

7. Have regular termite inspections. Although an inspection doesn’t reduce your risk, we can find termites in the early stages of infestation and eliminate them. We also report on all of the above recommendations, so you’ve got a handy reference for the future.

 Termites (white ants) travel underground and enter your house through concealed entry points. Therefore, simple termite sprays are often ineffective and a waste of money. You need a proper Termite Management System done by an experienced termite specialist.

For a more detailed explanation read: Termite Sprays: Why Can’t You Just Get a Simple Spray to Protect From Termites?