If you have just found termites, start with what to do when you find termites, and leave them undisturbed while you arrange an inspection.

Treating the colony and protecting the house are two separate jobs. Killing the termites you have found does not keep the next colony out.

Confirm what you have, and when Queensland wants it reported

This guide follows a termite problem through five stages:

1. Confirm what you have.
2. Find where the termites come from.
3. Treat the colony.
4. Protect the house.
5. Inspect again to check the treatment worked.

Mud tubes point to subterranean termites; dry droppings point to drywood termites. Business Queensland says subterranean termites, commonly called white ants, usually live in the ground and need contact with soil or a constant source of moisture. CSIRO says they build shelter tubes from the nest over concrete, brickwork and durable timber. Drywood termites need only the moisture in the timber they eat, and push dry droppings, called frass, out through small holes and cracks. They can arrive by flight or inside infested timber or furniture.

Business Queensland adds that correct identification of subterranean species takes skill, experience and at least tenfold magnification, so leave it to a licensed pest manager.

The introduced West Indian drywood termite is established in Maryborough and many Brisbane suburbs. It is also present in Bundaberg, Townsville and Rockhampton. Its signs include droppings near skirting boards, under windowsills and in room corners. The Queensland Government says it is no longer regulated biosecurity matter, so reporting is helpful but not mandatory. Everyone still has a general biosecurity obligation to take reasonable measures to limit its spread. You can report a suspected find online or by phoning Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

Finding where they come from

Termites inside a house are usually fed from a colony somewhere else. An inspection looks for where they are coming from, not only where they are feeding. The QBCC says attacks on buildings usually start from a nest below the ground. That nest is usually outside the house, though occasionally it is buried in the soil beneath it. CSIRO notes that workers usually forage within 30 metres of the nest, and occasionally 100 metres or more.

An inspection follows the leads with checks like these, from CSIRO and QBCC guidance:

• Mud shelter tubes over stumps, ant caps and the edges of concrete slabs.
• Joints and cracks in timber packed with crumbly mud.
• Skirting boards, door and window frames and posts set in soil, tapped for a hollow sound and probed for hidden galleries.
• Damp areas such as bathrooms, laundries and paving that sends water towards the house.
• Entry routes through wall cavities, cracks in mortar or slabs, and gaps beside service pipes.
• Where flying termites launched from, since the nest may be many metres away.

CSIRO adds that professionals may also use lures and bait stations, sound or movement detectors, thermal cameras and sniffer dogs.

How the colony is treated: dusting, foam, baiting and soil treatment

Professional termite treatment usually uses insecticide to deter or wipe out the colony. CSIRO says successful control usually requires a licensed pest manager and the use of insecticides. White ants are termites, so the same methods apply; the guide to white ants and termites explains the name.

Removing the colony is not the same as protecting the house

Killing the colony fixes today’s problem, but it does not stop the next colony arriving. CSIRO says most control methods give no lasting protection against reinfestation by other colonies.

Protection comes from a termite management system, physical or chemical. The QBCC says a properly installed and maintained system impedes and discourages concealed entry. It does not always stop termites coming in the open, so it does not prevent attack. A barrier also will not stop termite activity elsewhere on the block. Chemical systems have a limited life and need ongoing treatment. Physical systems are generally designed to last the life of the building with proper maintenance.

The QBCC names the most frequent cause of infestation as a perimeter system that has been bridged or breached. Garden beds or wood chips built up against the house are one example. For existing homes, the QBCC lists Part 2 of the AS 3660 termite standards as the part that deals with existing buildings. Read termite management systems explained for the options. Before you compare quotes, see what drives termite barrier costs.

How you know it worked

These checks help you judge whether a treatment is working:

• Bait stations or treated areas are rechecked; CSIRO says baits should be checked every few weeks for termite activity.
• No new mud tubes or fresh mud appear where termites were found.
• You have the job in writing: what was found, the method, the product, where it was applied and when to inspect next. The QBCC describes a similar termite notice the building code requires for a termite management system. It includes a chemical’s life expectancy from its label.
• An inspection is booked at least every 12 months, or more often in high-risk areas such as near trees or bush, as the QBCC recommends.
• You do your own checks between professional inspections, which the QBCC also advises.
• You have confirmed the contractor’s licence with a free licence history check at qbcc.qld.gov.au.

Why home remedies and shop sprays fall short

Something that kills termites instantly is not the same as a termite treatment. Dust and bait work because termites carry them back to the colony, which may be underground or many metres away. CSIRO warns that care must be taken with bought termite products to avoid disturbing termites and driving them away temporarily. Several colony treatments rely on finding active termites, so scattering them can make the professional job harder.

CSIRO says swarms of flying termites, called alates, disperse from the nest to start their own colonies. A swarm has already left the nest, so spraying the flyers does not reach the colony that released them. CSIRO suggests watching where flights come from, especially inside the house, because that points to the launch site. A swarm indoors is a reason to book an inspection.

The useful home treatment is simple: leave the termites alone, photograph them, note where they are, and call a licensed pest manager.

Safety around people and pets

Before any termite treatment, check that a registered product will be used, applied to its label directions by a licensed technician. The APVMA says every registered product carries an approval number on its label. It describes that number as an assurance that the product has been checked as safe and effective if label instructions are followed. A label usually lists the pests the product is registered to control.

The Queensland Government says the APVMA is involved in assessing and regulating pesticides in Australia. It adds that poisoning can occur if a pesticide is inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin above safety guidelines.

A product label can include safety directions and a re-entry period. The APVMA describes that period as the time from application until it is safe to go back into the treated area. Before work starts, ask the technician which product and active ingredient will be used, where it will go and when people and pets can return. Ask for the safety data sheet too; the APVMA says it is available from the company that made the chemical.

If you suspect anyone has been poisoned, seek medical advice or call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

Next steps

If you are weighing up a treatment, read what affects the cost of termite treatment so you know what a quote should cover. When you are ready, see our termite inspection and treatment service and ask us for a free quote, or phone (07) 3286 9877. Our QBCC licence number is 894337.