In a country as termite-prone as Australia, it still defies belief that homeowners know very little about the habits and life cycle of these destructive little creatures. In suburb after suburb throughout the country, do- it- yourself gardeners are actively creating the very environment that pests thrive in, and giving them a clear path to the inside of their homes.
The Big Gardening Mistakes that Termites Love
The biggest pest control mistake we see homeowners make regarding termites is that they build garden beds right up to the external walls of the building. While this might look aesthetically pleasing, it is providing a moist, cool and sheltered environment allowing termites to live and travel around the house until they find an opening.
Worse still, some gardeners are still preparing new gardens by laying down black plastic to prevent weeds. We have lifted up black plastic many times during inspections to find the soil under it honeycombed with salmon coloured termite trails. Termites hate the sunlight and black plastic keeps it out completely, giving them a free rein.
Pile up that Rotten Timber – Termites Love It!
The other major mistake we notice, especially in semi-rural areas, is stacks of rotting timber left in the back corner of a yard or fallen tree branches left on the ground and not removed. Termites will set up a colony in undisturbed timber and use it as a base to breed and strike out to set up smaller colonies in the surrounding homes.
Modern pest control is not a job for amateurs. It takes knowledge of all kinds of pests and the best ways to eradicate them. At Defence Pest Management we have many years of experience in identifying and destroying pests around Brisbane. We offer a complete professional pest inspection service that identifies all pests on a property and a complete treatment program to eradicate them.
Forget DIY Attempts and Call in the Professionals
Common pests such as termites, cockroaches, ants, fleas, silverfish and spiders have made themselves so much at home in our suburban world that they are very difficult to destroy. We are often called in after a homeowner or occupier has already spent money on trying out products bought at supermarkets, only to find that they don’t work as well as advertised.
Flea and cockroach bombs bought at supermarkets are the weapon of choice by the do-it-yourself pest exterminator. Unfortunately, even though all the directions are followed, they often do not work. In our hot and humid summers, cockroaches are prolific breeders and it only takes a few eggs to survive the poison fog, and the house is infested again within weeks.
Professional pest control operators are trained in the most modern and effective methods and are much more cost effective than a DIY solution that isn’t successful.
