Why are our homes so attractive to termites?

Termites need, to survive, basically the same things as all other living creatures, food, water and shelter.

To termites, food can comprise of many, many things. People are often shocked to learn that such things as books, packing cases, clothing and furniture are all on the menu, as well as termites natural food stuff, timber.

Water is a high priority for termites as they have an exo-skeleton that allows moisture to evaporate easily from their bodies. This requires termites to constantly be ingesting moisture from whatever source that they can. Prime moisture sources can be as simple as a dripping tap in the garden or as complex as a leak from a cracked shower tray in the bathroom or drainage pipe under the house.

Shelter for termites can be as varied as their natural nesting sites in trees or fallen logs, to stumps, retaining walls or other manmade structures. In some circumstances termites will nest in wall cavities, roof voids or humanly inaccessible areas under concrete patios etc.

We must take steps around our homes to reduce the risk of termite infestation. If we allow conditions that are conducive to the lives of termites, to prevail, in and around our homes, then we are inviting an infestation and all of the damage and cost that occurs with it. There are many different conducive factors that need to be dealt with to reduce the risk of termite attack or damage, here we can only briefly deal with them but will try to cover as many as is possible.