Termites and Mulch

BJ says...
I would recommend termidor.

Given the time frame you are referring to I’d presume that what you found under your pot was not a “nest” (which includes their queen) but some termite tunnels. Termites can travel a fair distance from their nest and mulch will allow them to stay cool and dark during the day if they want to travel. My personal experience with termites has not been positive as they travelled over 50 metres from their nest (which was on the opposite side of a bitumen road) and they climbed up a double brick house to eat out a few roof beams. The whole evolution only took them a few weeks.

Termites are not silly; they can smell most poisons and they walk around them. They cannot smell termidor and so they get the chemical on them and walk it back to their nest. The chemical stops them building their next exoskeleton so the next time they shed they turn into a little puddle and die. Because they walk it back to the nest queen is also killed … no more baby termites. (I’m not normally into dispatching little critters with chemicals – but termites are an exception!)

It is not organic, but unless you’re confident the nest is over 100 metres from your house I would recommend protecting yourself. Give your local pest dude a call. The best thing is, once he’s treated the place you can turn the garden into a mulched grove and throw away the mower. As with any chemical application I would recommend doing your own research – but termidor is not supposed to leach through the soil or harm other micro-organisms or plants.

The MSDS can be found: http://www.ecopestcontrol.com.au/pdfs/Termidor.pdf

Julie says...
amanda, there are organic remedies, but not easily available. I have a friend who runs a business (Systems Pest Management) who uses as many organic methods as possible.

There is a little stick made of boron which can be inserted into wooden garden bed surrounds, but maybe only available from a pest controller?

Check him out if you want to know more.

Brendan says...
Hi Julie & Amanda,
I've probably posted this before, but the 'guru' up here has this organic remedy.

Mix 1 cup raw sugar, 1 cup breadcrumbs & 2 tbsps boron. Place on ground and cover with an ice-cream container, maybe place a stone on top.
This will kill/remove termites and ants.
If rain washes it away, just do again.

May need more than one of these.

TimberSafe says...
Hi Folks,
Pushing our company product- TimberSafe is new to the market and is boron based-meaning no nasty chemicals.
More info can be found at ultralast.com.au. It is brilliant for treating sleepers, fence pailings and the like.
Hope this helps- Ian

Anonymous says...
We like bark chip mulch and I've used the freebie stuff in the past and plan to again. We've got paving and termimesh as a barrier.

Our area is riddled with termites and a neighbour's house was apparently condemned as the termites got into the roof timbers. An oldish house with an owner who went to a home and was then tenanted, so possibly not looked after properly.

We assume they're in the garden but don't want them in the house!

MJ

jon says...
Do you think using it as mulch around fruit trees should be fine?

amanda says...
I can't Anonymous/MJ - not for sure...that's why I pay an expert to do it for me ;-)

I have never had a problem with mulch/woodchip and my fruit trees attracting termites jon...(have had a few native plants bowled over - but they ate into the trunk at ground level and there was no woody mulch anywhere near them..)

I don't know of any friends with problems either...but that's not say it doesn't happen I suppose...?

amanda says...
Lol...u don't live in WA do you lenn.. ;-)

You would need to drench vast tracts of land - as most live under the ground...

amanda says...
Well that's great if you live in suburbia gardenererer - but when u live on acerage bush blocks (or near them) then it's a bit futile really...better off baiting the perimeter of your home...we have 100's of trees around us so your method not really feasible...

I'll agree with my pest controller (an experienced expert) thanks :-)

amanda says...
Sounds interesting John Mc..? I'd like to hear more about that method please..it's termite heaven here in Leschenault... :)

Does that dust work on any other insects (good or bad)..? Don't they all have chitin in their exoskeleton?
Or does the dust just remain under the house...?

jon says...
I would love to hear more as well I have termites all over my block.

amanda says...
hehe...by "experienced" expert - I mean a cupla older gentlemen who have been in the game many years (not a newbie) anyway - lets hear from John :)

gardenererer says...
The method of finding and killing the queen is in Phillip Haddlington's book ,Australian termites and as demonstrated by the author . Need I defer to two nameless duffers that happened to visit A's house.?

John Mc says...
tyre, you're probably right. My research took me as far as I needed to go to get the result I was looking for. I didn't go any further. The product description contained everything that suited my application and it worked.
I have no technical knowlege on the efficacy of the product. If you are interested, maybe you could digest the info for us and explain in layman's terms how it is supposed to work. Google "Triflumuron". if interested.

For those interested in detecting termites around the house perimeter, it is suggested to cut some soft pine into 6inch lengths. Cut one end into a wedge so they can be driven into the ground with just the top showing. Now, or before driving them into the ground, drill two holes, I'd say 19mm x 70 to 90mm lengthways into the timber and cover the drilled holes with a piece of clear perspex.
The object of the exercise is to monitor the perspex untill you see mud being plastered to the underside of the perspex. When you see the mudded up persex, the termites are inside the chamber, it's just a matter of carefully removing the perspex, puffing in some Intrigue termite dust, replace the perspex and let the dust do it's job. They say the nest will be gone in 2 to 3 months. There could be visiting termites from more than one nest.

Brain says...
JohnMc, would you be able to kindly post a pic of said contraption? I am having some issues visualising it due to my limited imagination. :). Jokes aside, I suspect my neighbour (with their untreated pine bark mulch) is a heaven for termites and would like some evidence that there are active termites about. thank you in advance.

amanda says...
Stuff it - I am going to stick up for the supposed "duffers" :o)

This is just a part of my front yard...(and every other block around here too..) It's crazy to suggest we check and treat each tree - and anyway I refuse to do so!?
(except my fruit trees)

The reason being that termites are very much a part of the ecosystem that u see in this pic...
They kill the trees for sure - which may then rot and provide food for any number of creatures - they also hollow out branches, stumps etc - which also provide habitats for our native animals...
They recycle nutrients and this provide soil food...
They sequester carbon ... and so much more...

Some folks just can't see the Forest for the Trees..? ;-)

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Brendan says...
Hope you have a decent chainsaw amanda! LOL :-) I prefer Husqvarna over Stihl btw.

Brain says...
JohnMc, I think I get you now, thanks for your drawing! I thought the perspex side with the holes is on the bottom, thinking that the muds/timber bits settle on the bottom and you'd have to pull out the wedge to check. Thank you again and I'll give this a try :).

lenn says...
Checked out the INTRIGUE web site and oddly they don't seem entirely confident in the killing of termite nests with the chiton inhibitor alone . They recommend use of a neo- nicotinoid insecticide as well.