ABSTRACT: There is an emerging huge cost to buildings and other wooden structures from termite damage in urban Australia. Concerns about the environmental and public health consequences of the large quantity and frequent reapplication of termiticides (chemicals for the treatment of termites) in urban Australia has led stakeholders to identify a need to have appropriate information that reflects local conditions about their environmental and health effects. There are costs associated with the prevention and treatment of termite infestation in wooden structures. Reapplication of chemical barriers is required every 2 to 5 years depending on the products used and local conditions. Currently in urban Australia, we have been enjoying a period of overlap where older buildings are still being protected by the organochlorines while new structures are treated with organophosphates or pyrethroids. However, the effectiveness of the residual organochlorines is now reducing, and older houses may be at risk of termite infestation. The potential costs of re-treatment and repairs are likely to increase dramatically in the future as older slab-on-ground dwellings become susceptible due to the eventual breakdown of the organochlorine termiticides.

It is critical to identify information gaps between current acceptable industry practice for termite management in urban locations and public concerns. This may be achieved by recognising gaps in knowledge of each component of termite management, from termite ecology through to the present and future use of termiticides, and identifying these in terms of industry, public and client priorities. A review on aspects of environmental effects of currently used termiticides, along with a review of previous, current and future termiticides in the context of appropriate techniques for termite management and client priorities has identified several requirements including the following: (i) Further information on Australian termite biology, taxonomy, ecology and behaviour; (ii) Improved definition of the problem of termite infestation needs to be defined, locally and nationally; (iii) Identification of high-risk structures and building types, so that preventive measures can be taken in terms of design and construction; and (iv) Further education for homeowners, builders, designers, legislators and landscape designers in terms of practices in landscaping and design that inadvertently favour termites. Such approaches provide a pathway to deal with the “attack” by termites on buildings in urban Australia.