Termites are social insects that build large nests in soil or wood and can occasionally cause damage to wooden structures. They are sometimes called ‘white ants’, however they belong to a completely different insect group (Order Isoptera) to true ants (Order Hymenoptera).
Termites have pale brown to white bodies with a darker head and have no waist between the thorax and abdomen. The antennae have bead-like segments. The non-reproductive forms never develop wings, are blind, and have thin skin that makes them vulnerable to drying out. Reproductive forms have two pairs of equal-sized wings, one pair of compound eyes and a thicker skin that protects them better from drying out when exposed.
Several times a year, take a slow walk around your foundation and look for any signs of damage so you can formulate a termite treatment plan. No, termites don’t eat concrete, but they do create mud tubes, which are a sign termites are trying to scale up your foundation in search of siding or other tasty wood. If you see mud tubes, it’s time for a closer inspection and some DIY termite control tactics.
The easiest way to check for termites is to get a good flashlight and head down to your crawlspace or basement. Take a close look around for any signs of damage or mud tubes, paying close attention to edges and corners. And if you come across wood that you think may have termite damage, you can always try the old thumb test. This DIY termite control tactic consists of pressing your thumb into the wood and if it gives, you’ve got a problem. Another termite treatment tactic is to look for small piles of grass and other signs that termites have been at work.
Ventilation and sealing are key to moisture control. Without the right ventilation in attics and basements, condensation can build up and seep into wood and make it the perfect habitat for termites (plus condensation causes mildew and rot). And without the right sealing and moisture barriers, moisture can even build up behind your walls. Without that moisture, termites have fewer reasons to go exploring, which makes this one of the more effective termite control methods.
Have you seen termites in your yard? The last thing you want is for them to find your house. And this is where termite bait stations shine. Termite bait stations work as a termite repellent to draw termites away from your house and help to destroy the nest before the termites can do too much damage.
Pestman Termite Bait Station consists of a bait station, a lid, bait blocks and bait. We fix the bait blocks, which termites like to eat and which are highly attractive to them, in the bait station and install the bait station in a building, tree or dam. When the termites arrive at the soil near the bait station, they quickly make their way to the bait station due to the strong attraction of the bait material released in the soil by the wood blocks of the bait station and then enter the bait station to feed. The bait stations contain toxic baits containing flubenuron, an insect growth regulator that prevents termites from growing new skin after moulting and makes the surface thin and brittle, killing the termites by inhibiting their growth without them being able to detect it. The termite colony relies heavily on worker ants to find and carry their food. Flubenuron bait is based on cellulose, which is the favourite food of termites, as a supplement, so termites can easily feed on it. Once the workers have found the bait, they will carry the ‘food’ back to the nest for their companions to eat. All the termites in the nest will feed on the bait and the eggs laid by the breeding ants will not be able to be hatched, thus killing the whole nest.
Alternatively, the wood blocks in the bait station can be used to spray a special termite poisoning powder on the termites feeding on the wood blocks. Upon return to the nest, the powder is spread to other termites, eventually leading to the poisoning and death of the whole nest.
As the baited wood blocks are processed from wood that termites prefer to eat and are targeted at different species of termites, e.g. termites, reticulated termites, toothed termites, greater termites, etc., all baited wood is treated with special attractants and feed stimulants that are extremely attractive to termites. When the bait station is placed in the soil, the lure molecules in the bait evaporate into the surrounding soil air and spread around the bait station through the soil voids. When found by termites out in search of food, they are quickly lured into the bait station to feed. And the bait blocks are so palatable that we have filled the bait station with 8 bait blocks which can feed thousands of termites at the same time, greatly reducing the time required to eliminate the entire nest.
The design takes into account the behaviour and habits of different termites and the bait blocks are placed very close to the plastic shell of the bait station. Once the lured termites are close to the bait station, they can feed quickly, thus increasing the effectiveness of the bait.
All the bait wood in the bait station is specially treated against mould so that the blocks are resistant to mould and have a long life span. The housing of the bait station is made of ABS material, antioxidants and UV resistant compounds for high strength and ageing resistance and durability for a long life.
