The Termite Coffins are unique in that they have two integrated chambers. The inventor decided that no single chambered bait station, as they are commonly known, could be highly effective in dealing with white ants (termites). The reason is simple. Termites require constant temperature and high humidity to survive. With any single chambered system the cap at the top faces the elements. During peak season, in the summer they get too hot so the termites will either vacate the unit or force mud to the top to protect them fro the elements. As soon as the cap is removed, to monitor or treat the termites, exposure to the elements sends them scurrying.
Research proves that one of the most critical elements in dealing with termites is to amass large numbers of “workers” to treat or the treatment will be ineffective. Any disturbance will defeat this purpose. By having two chambers you can monitor the activity of termites without disturbing the main feeding group and the safer they feel the more the numbers will build up in the trap. The “Termite Coffin is also designed to facilitate treatment without the termites knowing it's happening. Here’s how it works.
The Outer Chamber
The outer chamber is the “termite restaurant”. This chamber sits below the ground where the temperature, moisture and humidity remain constant. The chamber is filled with a specially designed corrugated cardboard wrapped in many layers. The cardboard is much higher in cellulose content than normal timber. The corrugations are very similar to the way termites build their own nests. The entry points to the chamber are staggered thin slots around the chamber. They start a good 100mm below the ground as the termites’ predators are most prolific in the topsoil. This greatly reduces predator attack, a feature the most expensive systems don’t have.
The Central Chamber
The Central chamber comprises a 50mm tube with it's own entry slots. This tube protrudes about 30mm above the cap of the outer chamber and has a cap on top to seal it. Inside the tube is a radiata pine rod. This can be easily accessed by you once amonth to check for activity without disturbing the termites feeding in the outer chamber. As the termites have to eat all the way through the outer chamber to access the inner chamber, if you find termites eating the pine rod you not only know that there are termites in the station but that you will have sufficient numbers for an effective treatment program. At this time the species can also be identified.
A common mistake of other pest control systems is to treat all species of termites as the same. Different species behave in different ways. The time of year also affects the effectiveness of the treatment for different species. The I.D chamber allows for identification of the species without disturbing the main feeding (outer) chamber. The rod can be quickly checked to ascertain the feeding species so an informed decision can be made as to the appropriate treatment at the time.
The WAM Stations
WAM stands for “White Ant Monitor. The WAM is a square block of pine, wedge shaped at one end for easy installation. The top is square. In the middle of the top there is a tube with a sealed clear viewing window inserted into the block. The blocks are pre-aged with the activator solution before you receive them. This speeds up the time it takes for termites to be able to detect them and provides the termites with the all important protozoa they need to digest the cellulose, just as in the termite coffin. New timber blocks can take quite some time to decay in the ground before the termites know they are there. When termites eat their way into the tube the sun will hit them threatening them with dehydration so they will block off the clear window with termite “mud” to insulate them telling you have termites in the WAM station. As the termite coffins are placed in the most critical wet areas, if there are termites in the WAMs they will most likely be in the coffins as well. It is still very easy for the termite technician to treat the WAMs but we would not recommend the use of this type of station on its own as there is no way to tell what numbers of termites you are dealing with or to identify the species. Used together with the Termite Coffins however they work brilliantly.
The Activator Solution
With every kit of 6 Termite Coffins and 10 WAMs you receive a bottle of Activator Solution. This is our latest innovation to add to the effectiveness of the system. The Activator solution is based on a specific species of Melaleuca mixed with liquid cellulose and then aged to produce a live plant mould which is activated when it is put in the ground, providing the termites with their all important protein containing the protozoa needed to digest the cellulose. This mould, by growing between the layers also stops the cardboard from becoming too soggy and breaking up and prevents the surrounding soil from solidifying around the canister.
Easy to follow instructions are on the main instruction sheet. All you do is mix the Activator solution with 8 litres of water in a bucket and then add about half a litre to the earth you fill in around the stations. The solution is drawn into the central chamber trapping the all important moisture and high humidity in the core.
The greatest proliferation of termites around Australia is found where Eucalypts and Melaleuca are in abundance ..... This is where they love to build their nests; in the stumps of dead trees, under the root crown of living or dead trees or high up in the fork of branches of the tree. The Melaleuca and heavy cellulose have chemical signatures the termites’ readily recognise.
All of the ingredients in the Activator Solution are found naturally in nature and are completely Non-Toxic to the environment.
With the combination of the concentrated cellulose in the absorbent corrugated cardboard and the Melaleuca plant mould we have now provided the best food source in the yard to Termites. The little blighters can’t resist them. Termi-Mite Termite Monitoring and Baiting Stations are guaranteed to amass large numbers of termites, as when termites find a safe and abundant food source they lay a pheremone which serves to guide the other workers to the food source, then the termites send out a message to the rest of the workers to join in the feast by tapping their antennae.
To see how the system works and how easy it is to do DIY monitoring follow the link below to How Does Termi-Mite Work?
