Treatments and Building
EHB is a declared pest under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act.
This means whenever EHB is found, it must be reported to the Department of Agriculture and Food.
Please call the Freecall Hotline on 1800 084 881 if you find signs of EHB.
There is some conjecture about the available treatments for EHB. They need to be broken down into the following three categories:
- Timber pre-treatments
- In-situ prevention
- Remedial treatments
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Timber pre-treatment refers to the use of treated pine rather than untreated pine. The options available to prevent borer attack are CCA, LSOP and Blue. A list of treatment options and approved pest controllers can be found on the DOCEP website.
In-situ treatments include spray on pyrethrins and borates which are effective against EHB.
In-situ treatments are restricted in how well they work as it is difficult to reach the end of timbers and adequately coat them once the roof covering is in place.
The only remedial treatment currently available is to replace the infested roof structure with non-susceptible materials or fumigate the whole of the property.
Fumigation does not prevent against reinfestation.
There are currently no chemicals suitable for fumigating against EHB registered for use in Australia. The Department of Agriculture and Food is investigating options suitable for Australian conditions.
In high risk areas where the pest is known to occur, the Department of Housing and Works has advised against the use of untreated pine for structural purposes. |
