10 Unknown Facts About Termites

Map credit to CSIRO Australia

Posh city filled with villas, prime residential blocks and mammoth rentals is the modern description of Sydney. With the thriving real estate and property market, attention is now shifting from market analysis to more apartment building and pest inspections.

Termite, has for years been considered the pest that not only destroys expensive wooden finishings but also lead to unplanned repairs. The tropical regions in Australia at the north are heavily infested with termites then Sydney is amongst the state that comes second.

Research done by pest inspection companies and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) claim that only a few cases of infestation are handled completely with preventive measures provided to the resident.

There are many types of termites and the species might be more than a hundred in line with research stats. However, the type that is causing havoc and panic to many Sydney residents is the Subterranean termite that has its presence established strongly in many buildings and properties.

Sydney properties are highly exposed to termite infestation due to the following reasons:

• There is little awareness. Pest education done by property developers and Realtors when selling properties or setting up structures are not fully divulged. A large number of residents have claimed knowing their soil is home to a colony of termites after a pest inspection is done years after purchasing or building their home.
• There are few reliable pest inspectors in Sydney whose work is superb. Pest inspection companies are being set up at every corner of the city for a desperate resident might fall prey to an unqualified inspector. Although, there are still reliable pest inspectors around Sydney so due diligence is required in looking for one.
• The cost of having a full pest inspection is relatively high. Since Sydney accounts to being one of the second most termite infested state in Australia, some pest inspection company take advantage of coming up with costly inspection since there will always be customers needing their expertise. Again, do your homework in looking for a trusted one.

These three reasons play a crucial role in the increase of termite infestation both in Sydney and its environs.

Termites are highly sophisticated pests. Below are 10 unknown behaviors and characteristics of termites worth knowing.

1. Many of them are blind. Visual acuity is a thing some struggle with. Only the fertile termites that roam in search of mating partners to reproduce with have the ability to see during flying.
2. Termites are Eco-friendly insects. They help recycle disposed wooden items and fallen tree branches and leaves.
3. They feed on their feces in an effort to replenish their bacterial and protozoa count in the body. This is done after every moulting.
4. They are among the leading producers of methane gas in the animal kingdom. They have the ability to produce a whooping 20 million tonnes of methane annually.
5. Termites never sleep nor tire. They are known to be the busiest coordinated pests followed by bees. They work during the night making them nocturnal animals thus for 24 hours in 7 days, termites are on the move.
6. Have a life expectancy of 30 years. Within the 30 years, a termite can lay up to 30, 000 eggs per day making their growth hard to limit. With only a handful of termite, an uncontrollable colony can be established.
7. Have existed for more than a 100 million years. Being descendants of a crawling specie of cockroach that is dated to 300 million years back, termites have increasingly risen in population and sophistication.
8. Every couple of a new king and queen can fly. These royal duo pair up after flying in swarms. They fly in search of mating partners with whom to establish a new colony. Once they mate, they break off their wings and bring up their offspring in a bid to build up a colony.
9. To some people, termites are food. Claimed to be rich in protein and calories, some people lightly fry them while others extract oil from them.
10. When they detect a threat, termites bang their head on the nest. This banging results to a wave of vibrations that serve a warning signal to the rest of the colony.

Do not learn these facts by investigating the termites at your home. Purchase a pre-sell pest inspection and do away with the nagging pest. Save yourself from unexpected costs during valuation and have a perfect pest inspection market price that suits your property. Familiarize yourself with the paperwork and report given during inspection. Have a termite management system put in place and live a pest-free life.

Termite pest control in Australia can be managed and prevented from creating more damages if early detection was warranted. That's why it is also advisable to have regular pest inspections and have termite infestation treated abruptly once there's manifestation present.

It is advisable to seek professional help during regular inspection and treatment to ensure that any manifestation will be detected and that proper treatment will be rendered. Remember, termites are silent workers, you wouldn't want to get surprised by their presence at your priced property.