Termite control and treatment: the two approaches your pest controller chooses between

What does termite treatment cost?

A licensed pest controller must treat termites, and here is why you cannot do it yourself

The chemicals used to treat termites are not sold over the counter. They are restricted-use products, approved by the APVMA, Australia's national pesticide body. In Victoria, anyone who uses these chemicals in a pest-control business must hold a valid licence. 1health.vic.gov.auView source The exceptions do not cover your home. Licensing rules vary by state, but the APVMA rule is national: only a licensed pest controller can apply them legally in Australia.

That covers both approaches. The soil chemicals in a barrier and the toxins inside bait stations are both restricted. Your pest controller applies them. You don't.

The rule goes further than a chemical list. AS 3660.2 is the Australian Standard for termite detection and management in existing buildings, and your pest controller works to it when they give you a written plan. 3Standards AustraliaView source The standard is paywalled. The key point: the plan it shapes is written for your building, not copied from a product label.

One rule kicks in the moment you think you have termites. Don't touch anything. Don't disturb mud tubes, trails, or workings. 4qld.gov.auView source If the colony scatters into hidden wall cavities, detection gets harder. Take a photo. Call a licensed pest inspector. The full signs walk-through and do-not-disturb steps are in the signs of termites guide.

Chemical barriers isolate the colony from your home; baiting systems target the colony itself

So treatment is licensed-only. But which approach will your inspector use? That depends on what they find on site. 2health.vic.gov.auView source

A chemical barrier treats the soil around and under your home to block termite access. The idea is to cut the colony off from your building so it can no longer reach your timber. 2health.vic.gov.auView source The colony stays alive; it just can't get in. The QBCC (Queensland's building and construction body) says the barrier runs as a 300mm-wide strip of treated soil around and under the structure, with a top-up pipe system so the chemical can be renewed when it fades. 5qbcc.qld.gov.auView source Barriers break down over time and need topping up on a plan your pest controller sets.

A baiting system works the other way. Bait stations go in the soil around your home, worker termites eat the bait, and the slow-acting toxin travels back through the colony until the colony is gone. State health guidance says baiting is often the best way to kill an attacking colony when the nest site cannot be found. 2health.vic.gov.auView source That last part matters. Baiting fits some cases, not all. It is not a blanket pick over barriers, and what the inspector finds on your property is what settles the call.

Baiting needs ongoing checks, often each quarter in the first year, as bait must be topped up and stations checked for signs of termite use.

Barrier vs baiting: the call your pest controller makes

The table below sets out the main differences between the two approaches. The right choice depends on what a licensed inspector finds on site: whether the nest can be found, access to the building edge, and how your home is built. Neither is simply better. 2health.vic.gov.auView source 5qbcc.qld.gov.auView source

AS 3660 is the standard your pest controller works to, and what that means for your plan

Knowing there are two approaches is one thing. But how does your pest controller decide which plan suits your home? That is where AS 3660 comes in.

AS 3660.2 is the Australian Standard for termite detection and management in existing buildings. Standards Australia says it helps pest managers and building owners talk to each other more clearly about what is found and what needs to happen. 3Standards AustraliaView source Your pest controller uses this standard to shape the written plan they give you. It is not a generic product guide. It is built around your building.

AS 3660.1 covers new building work. 3Standards AustraliaView source If your home was built after it was adopted, it may already have a barrier in place from the build stage. A licensed pest inspector can tell you whether that system still works and whether it needs re-applying.

Both standards point to the same thing. These are expert calls, made on your own property. No standard tells you which treatment you need from a product label.

Other licensed techniques exist, but the barrier vs baiting decision is the one most existing homes face

Barriers and baiting cover most situations. But a licensed pest controller has other tools, and may use them based on what they find.

Physical barriers (crushed granite, stainless steel mesh, strip shielding, and treated sheeting) are mainly used in new builds under AS 3660.1. 2health.vic.gov.auView source 5qbcc.qld.gov.auView source They go in during construction to stop termites from entering the structure. For an existing home with no barrier already fitted, they can't simply be added after the fact.

Dusts using growth-control products can be applied to active workings when a nest is found. 2health.vic.gov.auView source Risk reduction steps, such as keeping soil away from timber, fixing drainage, and fixing leaky pipes, cut the conditions termites look for. These are upkeep steps, not treatment for a live colony problem.

For most homes with an active or suspected colony problem, the call comes down to barrier versus baiting. The other tools are extras your contractor uses at their own judgement.

Annual inspections are the ongoing protection layer, not a one-time treatment

Treatment deals with what's there now. Annual inspection is what stops the next colony getting in. Both matter.

The QBCC says to get a licensed pest controller in at least once a year, and more often if you are in a high-risk area. 5qbcc.qld.gov.auView source This applies no matter which approach was used. Barriers break down. Baiting stations need checking. The annual cadence is Queensland guidance; check with a local licensed pest inspector for the right gap in your area.

Annual inspection catches new termite signs before they become structural damage. What a termite inspection covers and when to book one are in the termite inspection guide.

Treatment cost depends on type and property, not one flat rate

Cost varies a lot based on which approach is used. A termiticide barrier, a baiting system install, structural repair for active termite damage, and an inspection-only job are each priced as separate groups. Property size is a major driver for both barrier and baiting. If the colony has caused structural damage, that adds further cost on top of the treatment itself.

This guide does not publish cost figures. For the full breakdown of what drives termite treatment costs, see the termite treatment cost guide or the pest control services cost guide for location-specific pricing.