In our part of the Top End we receive (Brisbane News) on 7 and 9 and 10.
Last week there was a story on termites "at the back of the Gold Coast"(???) that indicated they were "from Darwin" ie mastotermes darwinines
There was a similar story "about 5 months ago" on the same subject in the same location.
If you have a timber house or dwelling or (living) trees on your property.......take them very seriously as they can do a lot of damage in a very very very short space of time...compared to "white ants".
There is no insurance.
They (mastoes) live totally underground. (you will not see "mounds") There nest could be up to 150 metres from where you locate them. They do not like any light.
They eat BOTH live and dead timber.
They will eat live trees.....and the 1st time you know is when the tree is very sick/nearly dead and ready to fall over (poss on your house) esp in storms).
There are 2 ways to determine if they are present.
1) lay bundles of newspaper (tie a bundle about 6-8 inches thick) around your yard.
2) drill a hole (downwards) in your (each) trees ...making sure your drill reaches the centre of the trunk.
If you lift a bundle of newspaper (say every couple of weeks) and find mastoes there.....have the chemical made up and spray them immediately (within a couple of minutes). If you pick a termite up it will bite your finger with a sharp nip.
Here is the most important bit ......make up the chemical (Termidor) at 3 mils (MAXIMUM) per litre. Do NOT make it stronger....because you want the mastoes to carry the Termidor back to the nest where they groom one another and the queen will die. If you make up the Termidor stronger ..it will kill them BEFORE they can carry it back to their nest.
If you examine your drill holes in a tree AND the hole is blocked up with dirt/mud (the day after you drill them).....they ..mastoes...are burrowing up the centre of the tree. Squirt/pour the made up termidor down the drill hole.
My brother had a concrete base (base floor for understory which was the workshop etc,) walls to 3m then the main house floor of poured suspended concrete and steel framed kit home on top of that. He had the skirts, áves and other trim eaten out by termites. Lived in Worongary, the Gold Coast Hinterland.
Food for thought there eh!
Cheers - Ian
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Cheers - Ian
I slowly realise as I get older that I am definitely NOT the fastest rat in the race.
Also the older I get the more I realise I do not know.
We own a 3 year old home in South East Queensland.
If you have installed a termite chemical barrier to your home and have it serviced on 12 monthly basis like many people do you should not have any issues.
We are blessed in the fact that the new estate is some what treeless.
