Termites in Australia

Termites - small, pale soft-bodied usually referred to as white ants live in large colonies. In these colonies there are different caste, these caste typically live within a mound of cemented earth. Many kinds of termites are destructive to timber and trees as the feed on wood

Here in Australia there is an estimated 350 species of termites where 30 are known to likely cause damage to structural timbers in building.

The Termite species are categorised into three (3) groups.

• Dampwood
• Drywood
• Subterranean

Of these it is the subterranean group that cause the majority of damage to timbers in the construction of buildings. This said they will start with timbers you have laying around.

Some timber species are naturally resistant to termites such as Cypress, however, none of them are termite-proof. In reality, any building constructed from timber wood is exposed to the possibility of subterranean termite invasion unless appropriate protection measures are taken.

Termites will often go to extreme lengths to get to timber ( food) and in doing so damage materials they cannot digest such as concrete, mortar, and even plastic, rubber, and even metal.

Termites generally reside and travel within a closed system of underground galleries or covered run-ways (aboveground mud tubes) that extend from the central nest to their food sources.

Termite live in colonies and each colony is divided into three caste:

• Workers
• Soldiers
• Alate  (the reproductive caste)

The alates are potentially the king and queens of new colonies and unlike the other two caste they have eyes, functional reproductive system, and wings. From spring to early summer or late summer to autumn the alates will leave the colony in swarms looking to establish new colonies. Swarming alates can sometimes be seen at dusk and can be con-fused for being 'large mosquitoes'.