Lets say you live in a known risk area for termites (count the advertisements in the telephone directory). It is normal for an inspection to be recommended to be done not less than once a year. Some people tend to stretch that out a bit. If you do go for less-frequent inspections it will almost certainly impact on any insurance or warranty you may have covering the termite risks. Read the contracts.
Mostly they are looking for food, which is usually some sort of wood. Sometimes they've come to your house chasing water to drink and then look around for closer food.
Baiting for termites has a long history. I first used it in 1979 to survey a park, but others had used baiting way before then. Basically, a bait is something that termites will happily eat. Often it is placed in a fancy (=expensive) container. When the termites are feeding on the bait you (i) know they are there, (ii) can identify them and (iii) you can exploit them. The original bait box method had the termites collected and dusted with toxin before being allowed to sulk home. Other methods
Orange oil is the name given to extracts from the peel of citrus. Mostly this is near pure d-limonene. It is a general solvent. You have probably used it in bathroom or hand cleaners. It kills insects. I used it as the recommended cleanup solvent for the Blockaid non-toxic termite barrier as it was much less of an OH&S risk than mineral turpentine.
. . if they don't tunnel in like the subterraneans did.
There are two ways drywood termites to begin infesting a house. By far the most common is by when they fly in and find a good place to live (in an exposed piece of timber). The second way is for a colony to hitch a ride. Often this happens when they come in with furniture, even in new furniture, but just about any lump of wood can do it- such as a bread board, ornament or violin. I've had reports of new hollow-core internal doors being installed with drywood termites already in them.
Inspection is the only way to know that you have them.
Firstly, put down that can of fly spray. It really won't help. Grab a few termites and put them in a plastic bag or a glass in the freezer. You may want these later. Gather up the rest (broom or vacuum). Maybe feed them to your chickens or fish (if you didn't spray).
They might. Subterranean termites, of most types, will travel at lest 50 metres through the soil to exploit good food. Termites flying from colonies can sometimes spread a thousand metres. If your house is well maintained and has a termite management plan, the risk can be reduced to something quite acceptable (but never totally removed). Apart from known colonies of major pests very close to a building, there is usually little to
![[A house in the woods]](/images/housewoodsBC.jpg)
will travel at lest 50 metres through the soil to exploit good food. Termites flying from colonies can sometimes spread a thousand metres. If your house is well maintained and has a termite management plan, the risk can be reduced to something quite acceptable (but never totally removed). Apart from known colonies of major pests very close to a building, there is usually little to 
