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BUILDING CONNECTION Spring 2019
DOGS TAKE BITE OUT OF TERMITE
DAMAGE
W
hen we think of damage
to our homes, our minds
instinctively turn to natural
disasters like fires, storms and floods.
In reality, the biggest danger is often
much smaller and harder to find.
Termites will affect one-in-three
Australian homes, according to surveys.
In many cases, home insurance policies
will not cover the destruction caused
by termites. This leaves people with
damaged homes and no back-up.
Termite damage is something
that often goes undetected until it is
too late.
There are plenty of termite detection
options. Flick, however, offers
something a little bit different; it is
teaming up with a four-legged friend to
track down the troublesome pests.
The company has been using dogs for
the detection of termites and termite
damage for the past five years. It offers
its service in Adelaide, Ballina, Gold
Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
At present, it has six dogs with a new
pup, Ollie, due to start his detecting
career very soon.
The dogs are trained by Flick
Anticimex’s national dog handler and
trainer Gavin Skinner who explains that
the dog’s keen sense of smell is one of
the greatest assets they can have when
they are carrying out an inspection.
Flick Ballina branch manager Dan
McCafferty says that, on any new job,
they always do a timber pest inspection
to Australian Standard 4349.3.
Following that, the dog is brought
in to inspect the external area before
moving inside. Handlers pay close
attention to the dog’s reactions and
make note of points of interest for
further examination.
The dogs offer an extra dimension to
inspections, not only because of their
sense of smell but also their agility
which allows them to access areas that
people couldn’t, including tricky roof
spaces.
The dogs are trained from a young age
and Gavin explains that the key factor
is to familiarise them with the scent of
termites and encourage them to search
for it.
“It depends on the dog but some
can be out on inspections after six
months. Most take between six and 12
months. We like dogs that have a bit of
drive,” says Gavin, adding that a lot of
their dogs are English working cocker
spaniels. Rewards for a good training
session come in the shape of playing
with a tennis ball rather than food as
the latter is more likely to distract them
from their task.
“Once they get the scent training,
we move on to more advanced training
such as distraction odours. They’re
trained to ignore things like other
animals and food and that’s why we
A keen sense of smell and the ability to navigate awkward spaces makes dogs the perfect termite
busters.
Anna Hayes
found out more.
PEST CONTROL
Gavin Skinner and one of his trained pups make for a termite’s worst nightmare.