Common Termites In Victoria

Heterotermes Ferox

Commonly found throughout Victoria - particularly in urban areas or where eucalypt gum trees are highly prevalent. 

Nest Location - Heterotermes ferox often build their colony nest next to stumps, logs, or other timber in direct contact with the soil where some wood decay or rotting is prevalent. 

Destructive Nature - Heterotermes ferox are be destructive to damp timbers and are usually found attacking fences, poles and other timber structures subject to wood decay from weathering or from

Schedorhinotermes Intermedius

This genus has two casts of soldiers, the Major Soldier and the Minor Soldier. The head is bulbous. The mandibles have teeth on the inner surface. The Major Soldier has uneven serrations on the base of the mandibles. The Minor soldier is about two-thirds of the length of the major soldier. They have a narrower head and more slender mandibles. Schedorhinotermes, are becoming a major problem termite and are now very wide spread. They are not known to attack Oregon timber. They are often found in bark chips in garden beds. Schedorhinotermes moult infrequently during winter and are hard to control for this reason.

Root crown and lower trunk of living and dead trees (Eucalyptus). Subterranean nests in buried timber in ground or under houses. Young colonies have smaller soldiers. Once nest is well established, major soldiers appear. Distinctively loose honeycomb damage in timber.

Mastotermes darwiniensis

Very destructive to timbers within 70m of nest. Where food is plentiful, colony will form independent sub-colonies. They are easily recognizable by their size. Identification is confirmed by the number of segments in the lower portion of the leg. They have been known to totally destroy a home within 3 months.

Nasutitermes exitiosus

Commonly found throughout Victoria - particularly in urban areas or where eucalypt gum trees are highly prevalent. 

Nest Location - Nasutitermes exitiosus build a mound nest which protrudes 30cm to 75cm above the ground. Control can be as easy as knocking the top off the nest and a follow up insecticide treatment inside the nest. 

Destructive Nature - Nasutitermes exitiosus are destructive to buildings and other timber structures. Sometimes severe damage may occur, but not so commonly as the other species listed above.

Main nest usually in trunk of tree, connected to visible nests on upper trunk or limbs.

IDENTIFICATION

Mostly timber in contact with ground. Seldom causes significant damage to building timbers

Coptotermes Acinaciformis

Commonly found throughout Victoria - particularly in urban areas or where eucalypt gum trees are highly prevalent. 

Nest Location - Coptotermes acinaciformis are a very secretive termite species; they build their nest out of sight, often within the base of eucalyptus or other susceptible trees, or completely under the ground; often within an enclosed patio or under concrete (on ground) flooring which is ideal for moisture retention, temperature and humidity control within the termite colony nest. This species often build subsidiary nests away from the main colony nest. A subsidiary nest can be contained in a wall cavity of a building where there is a reliable moisture source, for example, from a leaking shower recess or faulty guttering or rusted down pipes.

Destructive Nature - Coptotermes acinaciformis are highly destructive to buildings and other timber structures. They are the most widely distributed and destructive timber pest in Australia, accounting for more than 70% of the serious damage to buildings in Victoria. A single colony may consist of more than one million termites. A most voracious timber pest ... one to be taken seriously.

Coptotermes frenchi

 Commonly found throughout Victoria; the most prevalent destructive termite species in the Gippsland and other regions where eucalypt gum trees are present. They are highly active in Melbourne and other urban areas in Victoria, where buildings are constructed of softwood or oregon timber framing. 

Nest Location - Coptotermes frenchi most often build their nest in the root crown or lower trunk area of living trees, particularly eucalypts. They may also build their nest as a mound in the dryer areas of Victoria. 

Destructive Nature - Coptotermes frenchi can cause severe damage to buildings and other wooden structures. It is common for this species to devour timber framing leaving only a thin veneer. This species is the most shy of the destructive species; they will retreat from a location immediately (for the time being) if disturbed.

Coptotermes lacteus

the milk termite, is a species of termite in the family Rhinotermitidae

Commonly found in eastern Victoria - particularly prevalent in Melbourne, Gippsland and Albury-Wodonga regions. 

Nest Location - this termite species, most often builds its nest as a mound up to 2m above ground level, with hard clay walls, so control is easily effected once located by knocking the top off and insecticide treatment of the nest. 

Destructive Nature - Coptotermes lacteus attacks stumps, dead trees, timber fences, poles and other timber structures that are in contact with the soil, being softened by weathering or decay. These termites are also known to attack such timber in damp sub-floor areas.

Dampwood Termite (Neotermes Insularis)

Dampwood termites such as Neotermes insularis will only attack damp wood. They will frequently eat and attack the subterranean parts of small shrubs & trees, old fence posts, skirting boards, doorframes of buildings, tree stumps, and tree branches dropped to the ground. They will also be commonly found within old wood decks, roof eaves that are damp, showers, bathrooms or any other structures with poor ventilation or moistened timber that is subject to adjacent plumbing leaks.

Dampwood termites will often nest in the wood underneath the soil. They don’t necessarily require direct contact with the soil to obtain their moisture for survival, but often wood with a very high degree of moisture is needed. They are nearly always found in cool, moist and humid locations Small colony in branches and trunks of trees, often in softer growth rings. Serious damages to trees mainly eucalypts.

Dampwood Termite (Porotermes adamsoni)

It attack softwood posts and flooring, hardwood poles, house piers, bridge timbers and fence posts (Hill, 1942). It is of considerable economic importance as a pest of Eucalyptus, especially in south-east Australia and Tasmania, especially in the alpine forests of New South Wales (Greaves, 1962, 1965). It can potentially do more damage than other termites (such as Coptotermes) because it attacks sapwood as well as heartwood and is rarely found attacking houses.

Dampwood Termite -   kalotermes sp

Form small to sometimes large colonies in and around dead wood in species of Eucalyptus and can cause damage in standing power poles.