Coptotermes Acinaciformis Termites Sydney

Coptotermes acinaciformis termites Sydney are a very tenacious, aggressive, covert and destructive termite species. My name is Gerard from Micropest termite Control Sydney. I have been carrying out termite control treatments in New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia for over 25 years, and over this time the most common termites I have treated are definitely Coptotermes Acinaciformis termites. They account for greater than 70% of serious termite damage to Sydney buildings, and are the most widely distributed termite species in Australia.

This Coptotermes acinaciformis species of termite is found widely throughout Australia, and is quite common in urban areas where there are many eucalyptus trees, making the Hills suburbs and upper and lower North Shore of Sydney very popular. Their nests are often built out of sight in the root balls of trees, and they radiate out of the central colony foraging for food in approximately a 100m radius.

An important fact to understand about Coptotermes acinaciformis species of termite is that like most other species of termites they require a constant moisture source. Why they like to nest in the root balls of trees is because the tree supplies them with a constant moisture source. When we are carrying out a termite control treatment on a house for the Coptotermes acinaciformis species of termite we always test drill any termite conducive trees on the property. On the occasion when we carry out this action we drill through a water vein in the tree and the water will comes out at an amazing high pressure for about five or 10 minutes. The first time it happened to me many many years ago, I thought I had drilled through a water main. It was amazing how much water a tree can hold.

Sometimes they nest inside a patio or under a concrete slab. The concrete slab not only protects them from predators but also assists the nest in retaining a constant temperature and moisture. This species is also known to build subsidiary nests away from the main nest. That new nest can be in the wall cavity of a building where there is a source of moisture, such as behind a leaking shower recess or near faulty guttering or down pipes that are rusted. Its amazing but I have also seen them nesting in a refrigerator getting their moisture from a drip tray.

They are also known to attack materials other than wood in their search for materials containing the cellulose that they eat, including electrical wiring and items within the building. These termites are very destructive to any object made of wood. An infestation of this species is one of the most serious and destructive household problems that there is.