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Wood Rot or Termites – Tell The Difference

If you see any signs of wood damage, you might think it’s either termites or some type of wood rot. Which does make you wonder, how do you know what situation you are in and how can you tackle the issue? Here are some of the main differences that you need to look out for here!

How can you tell the difference?

When you see any termites around, clearly the wood damage comes from them. However, sometimes you don’t even see the termites at all, so that makes you wonder what happens and how you can tell if you have any of them or it’s just wood rot.

With that in mind, when you have termite damage, most of the time that means the wood is hollowed out, maybe even wavy. The wood rot will keep the wood soft and spongy. In many cases, the wood will fall apart even if you touch it, which does become some sort of an issue.

Another thing to note here is the fact that wood rot will bring in a specific odor. You will notice that right off the bat, which is not the case if you have termites. If these termites also invade wood rot, the sure that becomes quite the problem. Another important aspect is to see whether you have fungi there or not. When you see fungi, then that means wood rot is the issue here and you have to deal with it.

Understanding the types of wood rot

Dry rot will usually lead to wood decay and it appears when you have moisture content. Dry rot will attack wood that’s not treated in any way. With that being said, you will notice that the fungi here will grow and the wood will erode more and more. Wet rot on the other hand appears from water damage, and it will also be accompanied by a damp odor, discoloration and wood cracks.

As you can see, termite damage is quite different from wood rot. Most of the time wood rot also has fungi around, which makes it easier to identify. Yet in the end, you do need to talk with an exterminator so they can check for themselves. That way you can be certain there are no problems and you can actively eliminate termite problems as quickly as possible if there are any!

Can Termites Survive Hot Summers?

Since Australia has hot summers, it’s very important to know if your termite issue will persist during this season or not. Termites can be very tricky to deal with, so it makes a lot of sense to understand whether they can survive hot summers or not. Here’s what you want to know about termites and hot summers.

Can termites survive the summer heat?

What’s important to note is that termites are cold-blooded. And since their bodies are cold, they can survive in certain temperatures, but not well beyond that. So for the most part, termites will survive in temperatures above 25 degrees and lower than 100 degrees. While it’s possible for termites to survive some heat, they are not built to deal with extreme heat.

In fact, termites also have problems if the temperatures are fluctuating too much. They do like colder places, and they will try to find those during the summer heat in Australia. If the location where they are right now is problematic for the termites, they will just try to find a new place and that alone will help them solve any possible issues in no time.

Extreme heat can be very bad for termites

Since termites have a delicate body structure, they dislike direct sunlight and exposure to dryness. But don’t expect termites to die right away if the temperatures are really high. In fact, they will try to hide if possible but if that’s not the case and there are no ways to achieve that, then they will eventually die off. With that being said, the body of termites is fragile and they can withstand any harsh conditions.

Termites in general are fragile and they will hide, they dislike any type of heat. However, if you see termites during the day, that means the infestation is severe and you must take action. Talking with a professional is the right way to achieve that, and it can prevent any possible issues that might arise.

Thankfully, dealing with termites is not that difficult as long as you hire a professional exterminator. That’s why it’s important to search for any type of termites even during the summer. They will be forced to move around quite a bit due to the extreme heat, so that’s when you need to check and see if you have a termite infestation. And if there is indeed one, take action right away!

Termites On the Fence, Now What?

Termites can be a massive problem when they accumulate close to your home. But what can you do when they are already near the fence or even on the fence? That can be very tricky to handle, which is why you want to find a way to manage this the best way you can. Here are some of the solutions that you can check out, and which might actually come in handy to use.

Use a chemical barrier

The reason why this works is because modern chemicals won’t contaminate your soil in the long run. However, they will be very efficient and damage any termite that comes near it. Which is why a lot of people feel this to be a stellar option, and results will be extremely impressive no matter the situation. All you have to do is to check it out for yourself.

Bait stations

You can install some bait stations near the fence or even on it if that’s possible. What you will notice is that you can eliminate your termites very quickly and with incredible results. Of course it will work very well, and the implementation is second to none. At the end of the day, these can be quite fast, especially if you have lots of termites in a single place.

Try to keep the moisture levels under control

It’s crucial to try and monitor the moisture levels, keep them under control and things will be a whole lot better. If you try to prevent moisture, you will notice that termites tend to go away, because they dislike that.

Bring in nematodes

These nematodes are actually natural roundworms and they can kill termites. So if you want a natural insecticide, this is a great option to take into account. Which is why we think this is a great option, because it allows you to quickly eliminate termites and push them away.;

Pour some boric acid

Boric acid is bad for insects, and it will damage the digestive but also the metabolic system of the insect. Addressing that properly is very important and the faster you do it, the better it will be. Thankfully, boric acid is easy to use, however you do want to protect yourself just in case.

All these methods are great to use if you have termites on the fence. If you find them difficult to complete, then working closely with an exterminator is a very good idea. It will help save a significant amount of time, and you will be very happy with the results and experience!

Yes, Termites Are Most Active In Summer!

Termites can be quite the problem for most Australian homes, so it’s very important to figure out a way to deal with them especially during the warmer months. That’s why you need to ensure that you know when these termites are the most active, while also narrowing down what you can do to deal with them properly. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Termites love warmer months

The reason for that is simple, they are able to reproduce faster, grow their colony and also acquire food. They are not a fan of the colder months, but termites will enjoy those warm months because they get to take better care of their nest and everyone in it. They also reproduce very fast during the summer, which can make it very challenging to deal with. Which is why you need to work closely with an exterminator and remove them from your home as fast as you can. Because if you don’t remove them quickly, they become an issue.

What can you do?

Ideally, you want to check and see if there are any signs of termites near your home. Those can be really easy to spot, from mud tubes outside of your home to damaged wood or even swarms of winged insects. There are other signs which are harder to spot, but for the most part these 3 things will be a telltale sign that you have termites.

When that happens, you need to call an exterminator and ensure that they remove those termites professionally. Trying to remove them on your own does not work, so try to avoid any attempts as they might end up making things worse. Termites can be very difficult to deal with and especially during warmer months they spread really fast. That’s why you need to take action as fast as possible.

Conclusion

As you can see, it can be very challenging to deal with termites, especially during the summer. But you can hire a professional to get rid of them properly. It’s a good idea to do this early on, as soon as you see any signs of termites. If you just let it be for too long, it might end up being too late. Yet if you address it fast, the chances of having them spread can actually be a lot lower. It’s highly recommended to get in touch right away if you need any assistance or support, as the last thing you want is to let the termites spread out of control. We are here to help stop that as quickly as possible!

I Think I’ve Seen Termites?

There are many situations when you are either in your home or outside and something feels off, you see things moving and you believe they are termites. But how do you know those are termites or not? It can be very challenging to figure that out, and that’s exactly the thing you need to take into consideration!

How do you know you are dealing with termites?

dunrite-identifying-termites.jpgWhen it comes to size, termites have a small, maybe medium sized. Their body length is anywhere from a quarter to half an inch. So they aren’t very large, but some of them can be quite large. You also need to think about coloring too. For the most part, termites will range in color. Some of them are white, others are light brown.

The color of termites will change based on their life stage and also termite type as well. With that in mind, if you see termites that are lighter in color, then that usually means you are dealing with worker termites.

The body of a termite is also important to keep in mind. For the most part, termites can have an elongated, pale and soft body. They also have the head, abdomen and thorax. With that being said, termites also have antennae, and sometimes these are as long as their own head. A termite also has maxillae too, also on its head. Some termites also have wings, these are found only on the termites that are reproductive.

Differentiating termites from ants

When you see termites, it can be quite normal to think they are ants. So what’s the difference? Winged termites have wings with an equal length, a straight waist and straight antennae. By comparison, ants have a pinched waist, but also bent antennae and different sizes for their wings. On top of that, the male ant will die after he mates with the female. That’s not happening in the case of termites , which is very important to keep in mind here.

As you can see, there are different types of termites and they are quite different to ants as well. A lot of people mistake termites for ants, that’s common, but you do need to ensure that you make the differentiation early on. That’s what will help you figure out if you do have a termite infestation and how you can tackle it properly.

Don’t Disturb the Termites

Termites are one of the problems that most people living in Australia face one way or another. It’s easy to see why, termites are known to roam around until they find a place to settle. And when that happens, you can have a very challenging infestation to deal with, which can be something to avoid. That being said, not disturbing termites is extremely important. Don’t disturb them, otherwise it can lead to various issues.

What should you do when you see a nest full of termites?

In case the nest is on your property, what you can do is to treat it and then remove the tree. When it’s not on your property, you can ask the local council to handle it. However, in both cases exterminators are needed to tackle the situation properly and without worries.

As we said earlier, don’t disturb the termites. They will end up scattering in all directions. And the problem here is that they will most likely target your home, which is extremely problematic. That’s why you want to leave termites where they are, and in the end you will have a much better result all the time.

Getting rid of termites

It’s a very good idea to use one of the 3 types of termite management. You have the option to use physical barriers, such as termite shields, reticulation or composite systems, but also woven stainless steel meshes. Then there are chemical barriers where you use bifenthrin, permethrin, imidacloprid or fipronil. All of them can be tricky to use, but the results can be really good. Lastly, you can use bait stations, they can help in case you have a termite infestation.

 

Work with a professional termite exterminator

Hiring the best exterminator is the ideal way to ensure you deal with termites without a problem. Of course there will be problems that can arise if you just try to do this on your own. That’s why the ideal option is to leave them alone. Don’t disturb, and instead focus on eliminating those termites the right way with help from an expert.

Termites are a threat for any home in Australia, and you need to be very careful when it comes to dealing with them. They are not a threat you should take lightly. Understanding that and making sure you hire only the best exterminators can really offer you amazing benefits. It’s certainly something to keep in mind, don’t disturb termites and hire the right people to tackle this situation!

Why Do I Need Pest Control?

Whether you live in Brisbane or anywhere in Australia, there’s no denying that you are dealing with some kind of pests. That’s why it can be a great idea to hire the best Pest Control services and ensure that you eliminate any possible pests. These range from flies to ants, small mammals and so on. You never really know what these pests and many others can do to your home, so Pest Control services can assist. Here are some of the benefits you get from using such services.

 

Identifying the pests and how to get rid of them

Every type of pest has different Pest Control measures you need to take. Obviously the measures differ between a rat and ants for example. The Pest Control team will know exactly what methods to use and ensure that these pests are adequately removed from your home. It’s the ideal way to eliminate any pests properly, and the results you can get are nothing short of impressive all the time. Knowing the source of these pests is also one of the things a Pest Control service can do for you.

Less to no damage

When you try to do DIY Pest Control, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. So you always want to ensure you tackle these situations with the best approach and focus on getting the right results. Of course there will be issues that can arise, but having a professional Pest Control team will help provide a much better outcome every time.

Great pest management

The Pest Control service will help manage pests and use the right equipment and anti-pest solutions. In the end, it will help you save time, while bringing in the best possible experience. You rarely get results like this, and that’s what makes it stand out of the crowd.

 

Staying safe and healthy

You don’t want to perform Pest Control tasks in Brisbane on your own. Why is that? These can be dangerous, they involve chemicals and other unwanted compounds. That’s why addressing all these issues can indeed make a huge difference.

If you want to deal with any type of pests in Brisbane, we highly recommend using Dunrite services today. We offer some of the top Brisbane Pest Control services, and you can rely on our team to offer all the help and support you need. All you have to do is to contact us right away, and we guarantee you will have a very good experience every time!

Do Termites Live In Trees?

One of the many questions that people have about termites is whether they live in trees or not. For a lot of people that live in Queensland it can be hard to figure out where the termites come from, so they can deal with them properly. The truth is that termites live in trees, and many times they create nests there, which are easy to spot if they are outside. But they can also create nests inside the tree.

Are termites affected by the weather?

When they create a nest, termites usually try to do so inside the tree and sometimes they expand outside of the tree too. Rain is obviously bad, so they try to avoid that. Most nests aren’t dealing with direct sun exposure. What they do like are wet conditions and dampness, since that makes it ideal to eat on the desired parts of the tree. Anything like sun or rain can be problematic.

Termite nests can also be found fully underground. You will find some species that have mounds on the ground. It’s also common to see termites mudding, which allows them to move to new feeding sites. Mudding provides tubes that make transportation a lot faster and easier, something to keep in mind.

Do termites attack wood in your home?

Generally termites will always try to find new places where they can eat food, so they will have scouts coming in. Which is why you want to monitor any kind of wood in your home. See if the floor boards are spongy or bouncing, if the windows or doors are not shutting properly and if there are ripples in the paintwork. Other things you want to check are any mud spots, these can be in the plasterboard or any type of wood.

Some people even drill holes in trees to identify where the termites are and that alone can make it easier to figure out how to tackle this issue properly. It’s extremely important to think about that, and in doing so the results can be quite impressive.

Conclusion

Finding a good termite exterminator is very important if you see any signs of termite infestation. Don’t wait on it because it might end up being too late. The best thing that you can do is to try and figure out how to solve the problem and deal with it early on. Once you do that, you will also find it easier to prevent any termite issues in the future!

What Is a Termite (White Ant)?

Termites are quite common in Australia, and they can easily become a pest if you don’t deal with this infestation as quickly as possible. Thankfully, there are a variety of options to handle termites, and we are here to assist with that. But before you go ahead and try to exterminate these, you should consider learning more about them.

Understanding what are termites

Termites are actually social insects. Despite the fact that they are similar to ants, they are actually closely related to cockroaches. What a lot of people know about them is that they eat wood and they tend to destroy it. In fact, in Australia alone they generate damages of up to 1 billion.

What termite species can you find in Australia?


There are a multiple termite species in Australia. Subterranean termites are the most common ones. Then there are the drywood termites, which tend to live in a single piece of wood, even in furniture at times. They get water from the wood, so they are the termites that live in areas with high humidity levels. And then we have the dampwood termites. These only infest damp wood. They go into things like decaying trees, which is something to keep in mind.

How do you spot a termite infestation?

One of the obvious signs of a termite infestation is the fact that you can find timber damage. On top of that, you can also find mud sometimes, these are actually termite excrements which look in a very similar fashion to mud. The same thing can be said if you have issues opening or closing windows or doors. If they work until recently and all of a sudden there’s a problem, that can be a sign you are dealing with a termite infestation. Which is exactly what you want to focus on.

What can you do if you’re dealing with a termite infestation?

The best thing to do is to call an exterminator. Termites can be quite problematic and if you leave the infestation the way it is, that can lead to significant damage to your home. It’s extremely important to find the right way of dealing with a termite problem as fast as possible. If you don’t, then that can have a significant impact and it’s going to be quite the issue. Which is why addressing the termite problem and even having a yearly termite inspection can be very helpful!

Termites are active 365 days a year, winter included

There’s a misconception between many of us that termites are only partially active during the year. Many of us even believe that termites are not active during the winter, but that’s not the case. In fact, termites are very active during the winter and they actively do a lot of damage during the colder months. That’s why you will see a lot of termites in your home even if it’s cold outside.

Why does this happen?

There are less food sources and the cold temperatures prevent termites from going out too much. That being said, they are still very hungry, and because of that they will stay within their current location, trying to eat as much as they can to fulfill their needs. Obviously, this is bad for you if your home is invaded by termites. They will try to eat and damage all the wood, which is why you need to ensure that you work with a professional to deal with this situation and tackle it as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you will face some challenges, as you can see here.

Can cold weather kill termites?

Generally, termites will avoid going out in the cold unless there is a very specific reason. Usually, that means they are extremely hungry. But for the most part you will not see termites go out. They will freeze to death if they stay outside for a long time period. With that being said, their nests are underground, so they do stay warm and don’t really need to go outside. However, if they run out of food, this is a major issue and a concern, so they will go out and scout new location.

Do termites swarm during the winter?

No, that’s not going to happen unless they are leaving the nest and moving to a new one. It can also happen if the current nest is not habitable anymore or, in other cases, the colony is too large and they must move. They do avoid moving during the winter, especially if we are talking about a large colony.

Conclusion

Talking with an exterminator is very important if you see any termites during the winter or any season. Even winter time won’t stop termites from damaging your home, on the contrary, things can get much worse than anticipated. Which is why we believe that it’s imperative to work closely with a professional and solve any termite infestation as quickly as possible!

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