It often surprises people to know that according to industry surveys, 30% of homes in the Sunshine Coast will suffer a termite infestation, many within the first five years of being built. That is almost 1 house in every three!

All Pest QLD is the termite prevention and barrier specialist with over years of experience in pre-construction termite control.

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Australian Standard AS3660.1-2000 requires by law that all new homes and renovations have some form of termite management system installed to deter subterranean termite attack. That system must meet BCA & Australian Standard performance requirements with documented evidence in order to satisfy the certifier before anyone can move in.

Termite management systems usually have both chemical and physical components applied at progressive stages during the project.

Which termite system to choose?

When choosing the most appropriate termite barrier system for each project, there are lots of factors to consider and many different products on the market. As specialists in pre-construction termite barriers, All Pest QLD reviews plans, visits the actual site, consults with the builder and discusses options with the owners to ascertain what set up best suits their circumstances.

We have the products and knowledge to cater for all new building projects, commercial or domestic. All projects are certified and deem to satisfy AS 3660.1-2000, some projects require a combination of products listed below:

• Bayer Kordon TMB
• Altis Reticulation System
• TermSeal MP

Throughout the process, All Pest QLD as licensed contractors ensure the termite barrier system is installed correctly. The building supervisors must also ensure that barriers are not compromised by any other aspect during the building process like electrical and plumbing installation.

All Pest QLD provides the builder with certified documentation detailing the management system installed including a sticker for the meter box. The builder provides these to the owner together with information about ongoing maintenance responsibilities and warranties. Owners need to be vigilant about regular maintenance on their property. All Pest QLD is usually contracted to do ongoing annual inspections to ensure barriers aren’t breached by things like new garden beds, water tanks etc. It is an ongoing process but the benefits of prevention far outweigh the costs of cure.

There are essentially two groups of termite barriers which can be considered at the stage of new building work; physical barriers or chemical barriers. It is very important to note that the purpose of all termite barriers is to deter concealed entry (in other words they serve the purpose of forcing the termites into the open where they can be detected during the annual inspection process). This highlights how crucial it is to maintain annual inspections.

Physical barriers are based on termite resistant materials which termites must circumvent in order to reach the building. They offer the benefit of a 'set and forget' long term approach. However certain types of physical barriers have weaknesses due to the fact that they can corrode or termites can move over them easily.

Chemical soil barriers are insecticide solutions which are applied to the soil in order to create a zone which repels or kills termites when they come into contact with the chemically treated soil. They can work well and initially seem quite inexpensive, however the chemicals involved have a finite lifespan and can, over time, become completely or partially compromised by weathering and external factors such as landscaping or renovation. It is also important to ensure that application rates are consistent with the product label. A high level of vigilance is required to ensure adequate ongoing protection is maintained and the cost and ease of re-treating needs to be taken into account.