Termites. We all know they can do monumental damage to homes and cause thousands or even ten of thousands of dollars in damage, but how many of us know what the signs of termite damage are or even how to identify a termite if we saw one?
Because many of us haven’t had experience with seeing, identifying or surveying the damage that termites can do, we tend to think ‘it always happens to someone else’s home’, until it happens to us. That’s when we all start wishing we had looked into preventative measures sooner.
Living in Queensland has it’s benefits. Great weather, amazing produce and seafood, but there are also hazards when you live in such beautiful country, and termites is one of the threats that – just like our storms, cyclones and floods, can seriously damage your home.
In the same way we sandbag homes if there’s a chance of a flood, or get our homes storm-season ready, having a chemical termite barrier added to your home is one of the most effective ways to stop termites in their tracks before they get to your home and create chaos.
What is a termite barrier?
So you may be asking yourself “what exactly is a termite barrier” – is it a physical barrier to stop termites or are chemicals used? Well the answer to that is it can be both. There are physical barriers like laying chemically treated sheets on the slabs of new buildings, but we more commonly use chemical barriers as we are working with already established homes.
A chemical termite barrier is pretty much how it sounds. Chemicals that repel termites are injected into the surrounding soil of a home to stop termites before they even get close to your house.
You may have seen little caps or sections of filled in concrete around your home that look like this -
If you have these holes around your patio or in the concrete around your home, you have had a chemical barrier treatment at some stage in the past. These are the holes pest control companies use to inject termite pesticide into the soil below your home to stop subterranean termites in their tracks before they get to your home.
What types of termite barriers are there?
As we’ve mentioned previously in this article there are physical termite barriers and chemical termite barriers. We deal mainly with chemical termite barriers as most homes we go to are already established. This being the case, the chemicals we use will change over time, depending on what new pesticide technologies are available.
Given that our techniques and the pesticides we use don’t tend to deviate too much, the different variations of termite barriers tend to be dependant on the type of dwelling we’re working on. For example we find people are looking for:-
- Termite barriers for brick veneer homes
- Termite barriers for Queenslander homes
- Termite barriers for existing homes
- Termite barriers house stumps
- Termite barriers for existing homes
- Termite barrier for decks
- Termite protection for wood
- Termite protection for decks
- Termite protection for fence posts
Can you DIY a termite chemical barrier?
Well, yes and no. Technically you can go to your local hardware store or super market and get off-the-shelf termite protection products, however there are several things you need to take into consideration before getting yourself a Bunnings sausage on the weekend and getting stuck into spraying.
Insurance
Probably the most important thing to check up on is if your home will be covered by insurance if you choose to treat termites with off-the-shelf products. Give your insurance company a call or if you’re in doubt, get a professional.
Coverage, gaps and holes
It seems easy. Buy the spray, point the nozzle, spray and you’re done. That is until termites find the gaps, holes or areas you haven’t sprayed enough and get into your home. Television commercials will make it appear as though it’s really easy, and why are they doing that? Because they want to sell you their product, that’s why.
We do too, but we have an interest in making sure termites never get into your home because we have to run a business and deal with customers. Off the shelf products have no commitment to you as soon as you walk out of the store.
Chemical Hazard
Depending on what type of product you choose, some termite chemicals can be hazardous to your family or your pets if not applied correctly. If you don’t have experience with using hazardous chemicals safely, it’s wise to spend that little bit extra and get in a professional.
What’s better... termite baiting vs chemical barrier
We recommend a termite barrier, simply because baiting termites means you’ve seen termites around so they’re most likely already in your home. If this is the case it’s best to get a professional to inspect your home as they will check all the spots that termites like to find into your home, often undetected. You may be spraying one area that has termites, only to find there are several others you have missed.
Termite Barriers – the best way to stop termites in their tracks
So as you can see there’s a few different options when it comes to termite barriers. We hope we’ve given you enough info to make an informed decision about deciding to get a termite barrier added to your home.
For all your Pest Control needs please call us on 1300 057 067.