Termites will play a part in the lives of one in four Queensland homes. They are troublesome pests who can burrow through wood, making heaps of tiny channels and, in some cases, leaving only a thin veneer shell where once there was solid timber. They literally eat wood and wooden structures from the inside out. There are many species of termites, and some of them will avoid structural timbers altogether. Others will only go for particular kinds of structural softwood that have an area of contact with soil but some are ruthless.
Identifying Termites in Furniture
The first step to treating a termite infestation is identifying one. If a piece of timber sounds hollow, breaks easily, has small holes or small droppings, there’s a reasonable chance you have termites. A good test is whether or not you can force a screwdriver through a particular piece of furniture; if the wood seems rotten and gives way easily, you are onto something.
If you can’t find termites but you are worried they may come for your property or furniture, there are steps that can be taken to protect against an infestation.
Method 1: Build a Termite Trap
Termites eat wood. Principally they extract energy from the cellulose in wood. Coincidentally cellulose is the main ingredient in cardboard. Termites are also fond of warm and moist environments. This is why they rarely burrow through the surface of timbers and stay inside their channels. They are even known to patch incidental holes with mud to maintain the internal environment they like best.
A termite trap involves applying several layers of wet cardboard to an affected area of timber and inviting the termites to burrow into it. After the cardboard is infested, take it away from the affected timber to a safe area and burn it. This won’t wholly end your problem but it will put a dent in it, it also has the added benefit of exposing the existing termite infestation to the outside environment.
Method 2: Roast the Termites Alive
Admittedly, this sounds rather brutal but so is a tiny termite eating your dinner table. To roast termites, place the affected piece of furniture in direct sunlight over a few hot days. They will not be able to handle the heat, the light will take them if they try to escape and they will surely die. This can work extremely well in conjunction with the termite trap, as they may flee to this area only to find out they have been tricked.
Method 3: Freeze the Termites
Just as termites cannot handle extremely hot temperatures, they also cannot handle extremely cold ones. If your piece of furniture is small enough to fit in your home freezer, try placing it there for a couple of days. If not, contact a friend with a deep freeze or enquire about renting some space in a refrigerated warehouse.
Termites cannot survive extended periods of sub-zero temperatures and this method avoids the termites burrowing holes to get out or extreme exposure to sunlight which can discolour sensitive timbers.
Call AGJ Pest Management
If the idea of exterminating hundreds of termites doesn’t appeal to you personally, or they have entered your furniture through your structural timbers and therefore your house is also infected, call us on 07 3171 8277.
Termites can eat through an entire house in a matter of years and if you suspect they are into your foundations, there is no time to waste. As professional termite exterminators, we have a range of methods and tricks we can use to rid your house of these destructive pests. Contact us today for an obligation free quote.
