Termite / Lyctus susceptibility
Subterranean termites are distributed across mainland Australia and cause most economically significant termite damage. Specify termite-resistant timber (or preservative-treated pine) in the flooring AND the framing, and install per AS 3660. Lyctus susceptibility is a separate but related sapwood issue handled by H-class treatment.
Mechanism
Timber Queensland TDS-12 describes two main types of termites capable of attacking buildings: drywood termites (no ground contact) and subterranean termites (require contact with ground or another moisture source). Subterranean termites are distributed throughout Queensland (and mainland Australia) and are responsible for most termite damage of economic significance. The BCA requires, for structural elements, that reliably resistant termite management is in place — this is either termite-resistant species or preservative treatment to AS 3660.
Risk profile by species
| Species | Risk | Note & source |
|---|---|---|
| Generic Natural Durability | species-dependent | Per TQ TDS-12, naturally durable species (e.g., Ironbark, Tallowwood, Turpentine, Grey Gum heartwood) qualify as termite-resistant; sapwood of most species is NOT termite-resistant.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf |
| Treated Pine H2f | low | H2F – timber treated for termites for use south of the Tropic of Capricorn and fully protected from the weather — typical pine framing application.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf p.1 |
| Treated Pine H2 | low | H2 – timber treated for termites for use anywhere including north of the Tropic of Capricorn.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf p.1 |
| Lyctus Susceptible Sapwood | high | Lyctus borers attack the sapwood of many hardwoods; TQ TDS-22 covers Light Organic Solvent Preservation (LOSP) treatment for sapwood.Source: tq-tds-22-light-organic-solvent-preservation.pdf |
Mitigations
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Specify termite-resistant species or H-class treated pine for all structural elements of framing, subfloor joists and bearers per AS 3660.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf p.1
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Comply with BCA / NCC Volume Two 3.1.3 Termite Risk Management; note BCA requires a durable notice fixed to the meter box detailing treatment type and re-inspection schedule.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf
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On borderline jobs (dry-climate, framed, ant-cap protected) use reticulation systems combined with physical barriers and regular inspection.Source: tq-tds-12-termite-management.pdf
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For hardwoods with Lyctus-susceptible sapwood, use LOSP-treated boards or specify a maximum allowable sapwood percentage per AS 2796.1 T&G Flooring.Source: tq-tds-22-light-organic-solvent-preservation.pdf
Bona product guidance
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note
Bona finishes provide no termite-resistance effect; termite management is a structural / species / preservative question, not a coating question. Do not specify coating in lieu of AS 3660 measures.Source: Project knowledge — not in the Bona corpus (gap flagged).
NCC / standards references
- NCC Volume Two 3.1.3 Termite Risk Management
- AS 3660.1 Termite management – New building work
Gaps in the corpus (no claim made)
- No per-species numeric termite-resistance rating in the pulled corpus — TQ TDS-12 gives the framework but does not tabulate every species we cover.
- Bona does not publish coating-level termite guidance (coatings are not a termite barrier) — noted explicitly above.
- AS 3660.1 full text not in corpus; only summarised via TQ TDS-12.
Sources