Termite Treatment – How Much Does It Cost?
- May 12, 2019
- in Pest Control
- by Ashley Dando
- 337
- 0
While the costs of termite treatment may seem high to some people, if not handled in time, these tiny insects can cause damage and repair bills worth thousands of dollars. Termites can eat non-stop and their estimated economic damage worldwide is more than 300 billion dollars and more than 100 million in Australia alone. There are various types of termite treatments out there, and they depend on the type of termites that you have and the particularities of your own home. In this article we will take a closer look at termite treatment – how much does it cost?
Unfortunately, on the sunshine coast of Australia, 1 in 4 homes are affected by these unwanted pests. When it comes to treating and controlling termites, there are two possible ways of going about it:
A Quick Fix
This involves treating just one area where the active termites have been located. It may be achieved through foaming or dusting. Let’s say we have located termites in a customers door frame we can apply a foam or dust treatment to the area and it can cost somewhere between $300.00 and $900.00 this treatment only works if you have a minor or small infestation. It will not supply any long-term protection and may not get colony control
Termite Foam Treatment
Sometimes the location of the termite nest is deep inside a wall, a ceiling or a large piece of wood, making it difficult to apply liquid termiticides. This is when a foam treatment comes in very handy. The applied foam expands and fills in all the space inside the galleries. This pushes the foam through the entire gallery, trapping the termites inside.
There are foams that kill the insects immediately, but they are not the most efficient. What you want is to have the termites infected with the poison get to the queen and infect the entire colony. It takes a bit longer to get in effect, but once it does, it’s more efficient than an instant kill.
Termite Dust Treatment
The dust works in a similar way as the foam it infects a few of the termites and then is transmitted from one to the other, with the goal of reaching the queen and then eventually destroying the entire colony. Small holes are drilled in the infested places, dust is applied and then the holes are covered. This way the dust remains inside and the termites are not exposed to the natural light. This method can be efficient against small colonies, but it does require multiple follow-ups to ensure the termites have been eliminated. However, if the colony is large and expanded over a large surface, then a full treatment is required. In this case, there are two possible options: termite barriers and termite baiting. Now let’s discuss the cost associated with both of them.
Termite Barrier Cost
Termite barriers are applied around the entire area of your home and can offer protection for up to 8 years. Traditional termite barriers will involve treating all the soil areas around the entire building and drilling small holes through external slabs and pathways to provide a continuous treatment zone around the home.
The cost for a termite treatment varies between $1,500 and $5000 depending on size, type of construction, location & chemical used. This cost may include a dusting or foaming treatment if termites are in the home. Termite barrier treatment chemicals that should be used are non-repellents that work by transferring the product back to the nest once the termites have entered the treated zones. These sneaky little pests can crawl through the tiniest spaces, so the barrier should be perfectly applied by a professional.
A termite barrier treatment cost will usually be 15% cheaper if a repellency based chemical is used. Keep in mind this option is not recommended to be used when it comes to protecting your home as the termites won’t transfer the chemical back to the nest, it will only deter the termites from entering the structure.
Termite Baiting System Cost
Termite baiting system is another great way to protect your home the cost of termite baiting might be somewhere between $2,000 and $4,500, depending on the size of your home. Some homes will suit a Termite Baiting System over a Termite Barrier due to the building design
Baiting systems should be checked and serviced every 4 weeks on a 12 monthly program. When termites are detected, a slow-acting termiticide is used. It acts just like the above-mentioned substances and its aim is to infect and destroy the entire colony. These baits can be applied both above the ground (on top of active mud tubes used by the termites) and below the ground (directly in the soil).
The in-ground stations will be placed every three meters in order to attract termites into them. A substance that is placed inside is an insect growth regulator, which is a good alternative to chemicals. It destroys the exoskeleton of the termites, which eventually kills them while also infecting the others.
It is a great method of treatment, but also prevention. Even if you don’t have any termites at the moment, they may arrive at one point from your neighbour. This is because these constantly hungry insects can travel long distances in search of food.
The more bait stations you have in your back yard, the better the chances of discovering the nasty insects. This way you can also discover multiple colonies or satellite nests of the same colony.
When using termite baits, patience and persistence are essential. The bating process might last for a longer period of time. And even after the colony is gone, new baits can be placed in order to detect any future invasions.
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What’s Better? Termite Barriers or Termite Bait System?
A traditional chemical barrier may not be enough, as the perfect protection is very hard to achieve. In order to surround the entire property and protect all possible areas, hundreds of litres of chemical solutions may be required.
Their application is also difficult, and it may be necessary to drill through concrete. And even so, the termites can find the tiniest hole and still enter the area. So a backup form may be needed, in the form of termite baiting. Baits will be placed at strategic intervals around your home and will eventually lead to the destruction of the entire colony.
There is an entire debate in the industry regarding which is better: a termite barrier or a termite bait system? While both of them have pros and cons, the best way to go about it is to use both methods. This will guarantee that termites will be detected and killed before they get the chance to destroy your home.
Cheap Termite Treatment Can Cost You More in the Long Run
While you may be tempted to go for just a quick fix such as a foam or a dust treatment, this may not be helpful in the long run. Termites will be able to come back over and over again, destroying a part of your home each time and causing damage worth thousands of dollars.
So if you want to get rid of termites for good and to be sure they won’t come back for years to come, it’s better to invest more into a professional service of termite baiting and a termite barrier.
What Company Should You Use to Get Rid of Termites?
There are lots of companies out there and we are among the best. Safeguard Pest Control is a family-owned and operated company that has been in business since 1989.
So we now have 30 years of experience and our employees are highly trained and skilled. They have great knowledge in this field and can provide great results for all types of buildings.
We offer pest control solutions to both residential and commercial areas, as well as to schools and hospitals. We are using modern devices and safe substances that will not affect your health or the environment.
Early detection can save you a lot of money, so it’s better to act now than to be sorry later. Book your Safeguard Termite Inspection now by calling 07 5477 6675 or emailing info@safeguardpestcontrol.com.au and allow us to protect your home.
Our team of experts will arrive as soon as possible and will begin by inspecting the particularities of your own home. After finding the problem, we will come up with a custom action plan and we will get to work.
Our treatments suit all types of homes and all budgets. Contact us today and let us help you get rid of termites!