Dusting Termites

Dust toxicants are blown gently through infested termite workings. The dust sticks to the damp skins of termites and spreads through the termite colony. It has the potential to contaminate the queen back in the nest and kill the entire colony. The method was started early last century when arsenic trioxide dust was used. Some termite specialists developed the skill to a high art, and were very successful in colony control. Dusting are generally not so successful in Melbourne possibly because of the more discrete and subtle nature of our termite attacks. Only those infestations with very high activity during the warm summer weather really stand much chance of genuine control this way. Arsenic is in line for de-registration (a good thing) and has largely been replaced with Triflumeron, a chitin inhibitor with low toxicity and a slower mode of action.

See dusting in action.

Specialist Termite Control no longer uses any dusting methods, since we find that termite baits are far more effective in genuinely achieving colony control.