Termites in Victoria: Geelong, Melbourne & Surrounds
Geelong Pest Control are the trusted and experienced termite professionals protecting homes from the risk of termite attack in Geelong, Melbourne, the Surf Coast and across Victoria. Termites in Victoria are active year round, and every home in the state, whether on stumps, a concrete slab or a metal frame, faces some level of termite risk.
What are the chances of a termite attack?
- CSIRO estimate that 1 in 5 houses have a history of termite attack.
- 80% of homes in Australia are within 25 m of a termite nest.
- Termites can travel up to 100 m from their nest to a feeding site.
- The chances of your home being attacked by termites is more than the risk from fire, flood and other natural disaster combined.
… and your standard home insurance does not cover you for damage from termite attack!
Call Geelong Pest Control to protect your home from termites
Protect your home with a termite management plan
Whether you have a house on piers, a house on a concrete slab or even a metal framed home, you still need to be aware of the termite risk. (Wood elements in metal framed homes are still at risk!). A key action for homeowners is to implement a termite management plan to protect their home from potential termite attack.
There are 4 key elements of a termite management plan:
1. Understanding the construction of your home
Homeowners are generally not builders, but it’s important to have a basic understanding of how your home is built, as each construction type has their weak points where termites can enter without being noticed (concealed entry). In turn, this influences the actions a homeowner should and shouldn’t take to reduce the risk of a termite attack and it especially determines the type of termite management system that should be used to provide the long-term protection for the building. Your termite inspection report will provide this important information.
2. Make your home less attractive to termites
Making your home less attractive to termites can greatly reduce the risk of a termite attack. As termites love moisture, the first action is to make sure the area around and under your house is as dry as possible. The second action is to remove potential termite food sources (such as wood mulch and firewood) from areas adjacent to the house.
4 key ways to reduce moisture around the house:
- Fix leaks to gutters and outdoor taps.
- Make sure air-conditioning and hot water tank overflows lead to a drain.
- Avoid having watering systems in garden beds next to the house.
- Make sure groundwater drains well, away from the house.
3. Have annual termite inspections
Having a professional termite inspection at least once a year is a must. It’s not just us that recommend this, it is recommended by Governments, Building Authorities and Australian Standards.
A termite inspection won’t stop a termite attack but is like a “health check” for your house. It provides information on 3 key areas:
- Are there active termites on the property?
- Are there signs of termite damage on the property?
- Are there any issues which may make a termite attack more likely?
With this information, a series of recommendations can be made regarding termite protection for the property.
If you have a termite management system in place, an annual termite inspection is required to maintain any warranty on the system.
4. Install a termite management system
A termite management system is a termite treatment that provides the long-term termite protection for your home. There are two types of termite managements system
- Liquid insecticide treatments to the soil around and under the house
- Termite monitoring / baiting system installed in the ground around the building
Termite information
What do termites look like?
The termites that do all the damage are the worker termites. They are a very pale white / cream colour, which is why they are sometimes called “white ants”. They might superficially look like ants, but they aren’t ants at all; in fact, they are more closely related to cockroaches!
Termites or white ants?
- Termite workers are a pale, white / cream colour. Ants are black or brown in colour.
- Termites have two body segments. Ants have three obvious body segments.
- Termite antennae are straight. Ant antennae have an obvious bend or “elbow”.
- Worker termites are blind / have no eyes. Ants have obvious eyes.
Termite Nests / Termite Mounds
Subterranean termites are the most common type of pest termite in Australia and for the most part they live and nest underground. This can make termite nests very difficult to locate.
Type of termite nest:
- Completely underground – no nest visible
- Underground with obvious mound above ground
- Nest in the trunk of trees, sometimes visible
- Arboreal nests, high up in trees, but always with a connection to the ground
Termite Queen
The termite queen is the most important termite in the colony – she produces all the eggs, sometimes thousands a day! To kill the colony, you need to kill the queen. That’s why spraying the termites you see with a supermarket aerosol does little to destroy the nest. Sometimes termite colonies may have more than one queen and sometimes nests will produce a replacement queen when the original queen dies (although they can live for 20 years or more!).
Termite Eggs
Most people will never see termite eggs as they are kept in the colony nursery, deep in the centre of the termite nest. However, a steady production of eggs is essential in a healthy colony, allowing it to grow and produce more workers to collect food. Depending on the termite species, a healthy queen can produce thousands of eggs a day, so a termite colony can quickly grow to a size that can cause significant damage to a home.
Soldiers
The termite soldiers protect the colony from predators. They look different to the worker termites in that they have dark heads and large or modified jaws. There are far fewer soldiers in a colony than workers. In a mature colony, a maximum of 1 in 20 termites will be soldiers, with significantly fewer in younger colonies. The termite soldiers are used by termite professionals as the main way to identify the termite species.
Flying Termites / Termite Flight
Flying termites or alates are the new kings and queens that are released from nests each year in their annual mating flight or swarm. These termite swarms occur on warm humid nights in spring and summer, when thousands can be released from a mature nest and often nearby nests will have their swarms at the same time. Kings and queens will drop to the ground, shed their wings, pair off and move away to find a potential location to start a new nest. In Victoria, these termite swarms typically occur on warm, humid evenings from late spring through summer.
If you see flying termites around lights on a warm evening, or when you get up in the morning you find lots of wings on the ground, it means that you have a large termite nest nearby… maybe even under the house. Time for an immediate termite inspection!
What types of termites are found in Victoria?
The main termite species in Victoria that attack homes are subterranean termites, led by Coptotermes, along with Nasutitermes, Heterotermes and the dampwood termite Porotermes. In Geelong, Melbourne and much of Victoria, the termite that causes the majority of damage is the subterranean termite, Coptotermes. Coptotermes can build large nests of up to a million individuals, and if they attack your home, they can cause significant damage in as little as 6 months. There are two common species of Coptotermes in Victoria, Coptotermes acinaciformis and Coptotermes frenchi. It is important for a termite professional to tell the difference, as the two species behave differently, which can affect the proposed termite treatment.
These species don’t build mounds in Victoria; they nest underground or at the base of trees and can be very difficult to locate. That is why homeowners should always assume a termite nest is nearby and protect their home accordingly. Other termites in Victoria include Nasutitermes exitiosus, recognised by the pointed snouts of its soldiers, and Heterotermes ferox, which often attacks fences and timber in contact with soil. In the cooler, wetter parts of Victoria, including the Otways and the Central Highlands around Ballarat, the dampwood termite Porotermes adamsoni also damages homes where timber stays moist. The giant northern termite, Australia’s most destructive species, is not found in Victoria; it is confined to northern Australia.
Termite Myths
We get a lot of questions about termites and hear a lot of strange things. Here are some of the common myths that we hear on a regular basis:
- Termites will not eat treated pine. They will eat it, if there is nothing better on offer.
- Termites will not attack a house on a concrete slab. They often find ways into concrete slab houses through cracks in the slab and over the edge of the slab and through the brickwork.
- Metal framed homes are safe from termites. Sure, the metal is safe, but termites will still attack door frames, wooden floors, etc.
- Metal ant caps stop termites. Termites should not be able to get through ant caps (although sometimes they have holes or are rusted through). However, termites can build around ant caps (this is how they are designed to work) – allowing their activity to be spotted.
- You will know if you have termites in your home. Termites are very secretive. Often the first time they are noticed in the home is when significant damage has already been done.
- Termites do not fly. Each year mature termite colonies will release thousands of flying termites – the new kings and queens looking to start a new nest.
- If I have black ants around my home, I won’t get termites. Whereas some species of black ant do prey on termites, termites have evolved to avoid ants and indeed their termite tunnels provide great protection. We have often seen black ants and termites within centimetres of each other (and the black ants don’t even know the termites are there).
- Termites die off in Victoria’s cold winters. Termite colonies remain active through winter; they simply slow down. The nest’s temperature and humidity are regulated by the termites themselves, so activity inside walls and timber continues year round.
Frequently asked questions about termites in Victoria
Are termites common in Victoria?
Yes, termites are common across Victoria, including Geelong, Melbourne and regional areas. CSIRO estimates 1 in 5 Australian houses has a history of termite attack, and around 80% of homes are within 25 metres of a termite nest.
Which termite causes the most damage in Victoria?
The subterranean termite Coptotermes causes the majority of termite damage in Victoria. Its nests can hold up to a million termites, and an attack on a home can cause significant damage in as little as 6 months.
Are white ants and termites the same thing?
Yes, “white ants” is just a common name for termites, used because of their pale, cream-white colour. Despite the name, termites aren’t ants at all; they are more closely related to cockroaches.
When do flying termites appear in Victoria?
Flying termites (alates) swarm on warm, humid evenings from late spring through summer in Victoria. If you see flying termites around lights or find discarded wings in the morning, a large nest is nearby and you should book a termite inspection immediately.
What should I do if I find termites in my house?
Don’t disturb them or spray them with household insecticide, as this causes them to relocate to hidden parts of the building. Leave them alone and call Geelong Pest Control on 1300 135 519 to arrange a professional inspection.
Does home insurance cover termite damage in Victoria?
No, standard home insurance in Australia does not cover termite damage. That’s why annual termite inspections and a termite management plan are so important for Victorian homeowners.
