Question By: Does termite damage worry you? If so, you are not alone. Every year termites cause billions of dollars in structural damage, and property owners spend over two billion dollars to treat them. This fact sheet focuses on how you, as a consumer, can identify and help protect your property from termites through effective prevention measures and appropriate use of termite treatments. The first step in prevention is to be on the alert for termites. Termites rarely emerge from soil, mud tubes, or food sources through which they are tunneling. Most people are not aware they have termites until they see a swarm or come across damage during construction.
Different Types of Termite Treatments
• Non-Chemical Treatments
Some ways to keep termites out do not involve the application of insecticides. For example:
One such method is a physical barrier, typically incorporated during construction.
Steel mesh and sands of particular sizes have been shown to perform effectively as physical barriers.
Biological control agents (nematodes and fungi) have demonstrated some success, particularly in laboratory settings.
Because these methods do not involve the application of an insecticide, EPA does not regulate them.
• Chemical Treatments
Before a company can sell or distribute any pesticide in the United States, other than certain minimum risk pesticides, EPA must review studies on the pesticide to determine that it will not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. Once we have made that determination, we will license or register that pesticide for use in strict accordance with label directions. The pesticides used for the prevention or treatment of termite infestations are called termiticides and must demonstrate the ability to provide structural protection before we register them. In most cases, termiticide application can only be properly performed by a trained pest management professional.
Approved treatments include:
Liquid soil-applied termiticides.
Termite baits.
Building materials impregnated with termiticides.
Wood treatments.
Two common forms of treatment are conventional barrier treatments and termite baits.
Visit https://www.flick.com.au/caloundra-pest-control/ for pest control services.
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