Commercial termite monitoring

The threat of termites to businesses is one that cannot be understated in terms of damage to property and even to reputation. Older business premises with some wooden content in their structure are prime targets for termites however newer, more modern premises are also vulnerable for termite attacks.

The primary source of food for termites is cellulose. Cellulose is a constituent of timber and timber products. This could be in the form of cabinet works, Gyprock panelling, furniture, books, papers, fabrics, clothing, footwear and cardboard (eg cardboard packing cartons). In their quest for food they can also damage non-cellulose materials such as cable insulation, building sealants and rigid foam insulation. A warehouse may have wooden pallets stacked outside, a shop may have cardboard cartons stacked in their storeroom or a showroom may have a floating wooden floor. All these are examples of possible targets for a termite attack however it doesn’t preclude less obvious sites from falling victim to termites. Termites are quite adept at breaching premises for example, gaining entry through a paper thin crack in a concrete floor, and they’re also masters of “bridging” where they’ll build a shelter tube over an obstruction (such as a steel pipe) to get to a source of food and these bridges can be constructed vertically or horizontally!

So what can a business do to protect itself from the possibility of a termite infestation?  Forewarned is forearmed and this is where Termiwatch can help you.

Termiwatch is basically a DIY termite detection and monitoring kit that will give you an early warning of any termite activity before it escalates and does damage to your property.  The basic premise of Termiwatch is that a planned system of very palatable (for termites!) wooden baits are buried around the perimeter of your home in specially designed containers or stations. These baits are placed at strategically separated distance so that foraging subterranean termites will come into contact with them.

Termite activity will be noticed within the Termiwatch station and this will give an early indicator that termites are active around your premises and action needs to be undertaken to halt their advance onto your premises (termite barrier treatment for example).

The Termiwatch stations are quickly monitored every 2 months and the system itself has been designed for Western Australian conditions and in fact is totally manufactured here in Perth.

Termiwatch systems are being used now by local commercial and government establishments such as the Catholic Education Centre in Leederville and the 140 William Street Heritage Buildings. The concept of Termiwatch termite monitoring systems is also being used internationally, for example, at the White House in Washington DC and The Statue of Liberty in New York.

Perth Pest Control offer some services in relation to Termiwatch. Firstly, we do offer an installation service which may be particularly useful in a commercial property where most of the surrounding area is concrete and our specialised equipment may be required to install the stations. We can also offer a regular monitoring programme where one of our qualified technicians will, on a 2 monthly basis, visit your premises and provide a report on any suspicious activity.

We have a dedicated Termiwatch web site where the kit can be purchased online or if you prefer, contact us by phone on 1300 89 60 70. Keep in mind that larger commercial premises may need a variation to our standard kit and we can advise you on this.

Perth Pest Control are also long time supporters of Telethon donate proceeds from every Termiwatch kit to the Telethon Foundation. The following video will give a little more information on the Termiwatch / Telethon connection.