Termite Protection using a Termite Treatment or Chemical Soil Treatment in Melbourne

A termite treatment, or termite spray, in Melbourne is designed to deter termites by applying a termiticide (pesticide) to the soil in a continuous zone around the building. Termite treatments are also known as soil treatments, chemical soil treatments or termite barrier treatments. A termite treatment generally takes one full day to complete. Termite treatments are used to treat termite infestations and also as termite protection.

Due to the widespread presence of termites in Melbourne, some form of termite protection should be applied to buildings.

Termite Tactics recommends and prefers to use Termidor for termite treatments due to its proven success in termite protection and termite control in Melbourne. Termite Tactics has been accredited in the application of Termidor by the manufacturer.

Before a termite treatment is applied, a thorough assessment and inspection of your building is conducted. This will identify if there are any termites in the building and if so, how they are gaining access. The construction of the building is also assessed to determine the most effective method of termite control or protection. From that information, a tailored treatment proposal can be prepared to ensure the best termite protection.

The first step in applying a termite treatment is to prepare the soil, which involves trenching around every stump, pier and footing, and around the external perimeter of concrete slabs. The trenches are then flooded with termiticide. The external perimeter trenches are then backfilled and the termite spray applied again.

In situations where a termite treatment has been undertaken due to a termite infestation, rather than for protection, a follow up inspection will be conducted 2 months after the treatment, free of charge, to ensure that no termite activity remains.

Termite Tactics offers a range of free service periods or limited warranty for treatments, dependent upon the treatment option selected by clients and provided all recommendations by Termite Tactics have been adhered to. The free service period allows for re-treatment of selected areas at no charge.

Once a termite treatment has been applied to the soil around the building, it is very important that it remains undisturbed as the soil contains the termiticide. You should avoid digging the soil, establishing garden beds, mulching, concreting or paving over the treated soil as this will break the continuity of the treated zone, potentially allowing termites access to the building in the disturbed area. Regular inspections will help to identify any areas of the treatment that have been disturbed and the termiticide can then be re-applied to restore the treated zone.

Routine inspections should also be undertaken at least annually to identify any new termite activity, as no treatment can be relied upon to provide 100% protection for any definite time frame.

There are two main types of termite treatments or chemical soil treatments:

Repellent: Repellent termiticides work by creating a treated zone around a house that is toxic to termites. Termites avoid the soil treated with repellent termiticides. To work effectively, these termite sprays need to be applied in a continuous zone around the foundations of a house. This can be difficult to achieve in existing houses due to the construction design and areas such as concrete against the house. As a result, repellent termite sprays are most commonly used in pre-construction. Repellent termiticides include Biflex.

Non-repellent: When a non-repellent termiticide is used, the termites are unable to detect that the termite spray has been applied to the soil and do not avoid the area which has been treated. Although this sounds contrary to what a termite treatment is trying to achieve, it is not. When termites pass through the termite spray, they unknowingly make contact with the active ingredient, which results in their demise. Non-repellent termiticides include Termidor and Premise.

The termiticides used by Termite Tactics are registered for use in domestic termite control. We use only pyrethroid based termiticides, which are found in common household insecticides, or water based solutions which are low-odour.

The effective life of the termiticides varies with different termiticides, termite pressure, building construction methods and soil types. The manufacturers of the termiticides suggest re-application between 3 to 5 years, however, there is no guarantee that the termiticide will last for that period, as the factors above play a large part in the effective life of the termiticide.



DIY Termite Treatment