Kununurra is a town in far northern Western Australia located at the eastern extremity of the Kimberley Region approximately 37 kilometres from the border with the

Northern Territory.

Brett Murray from TermiCam Western Australia Travelled to this eastern extremity in September 2016.he was asked by T.F.S Corporation Ltd

Western Australia’s Forest Department first began trails to grow Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) in plantations Kununurra’s Ord River Irrigation Area

To see if he can locate and find Mastotermes Darwiniensis is the oldest of all the world’s termites and is by far the largest of the termite species in Australia.

This species is found mainly in tropical areas north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Mastotermes Darwiniensis or the Giant Northern Termite is predominantly located in

Northern Western Australia, Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.

This termite species builds its nest underground or in the root crowns of trees and stumps. Mastotermes Darwiniensis can cover wide areas and once the colony

is mature can form many ancillary nests. Mastotermes Darwiniensis is the most destructive by far of all the Australian species, if not, in the world causing

major structural damage to buildings and other structures such as bridges. These termites will also damage posts, plant and animal products.

In fact there is not much that isn’t susceptible to damage from this voracious termite. Mastoermes Darwiniensis will also ring-bark trees, kill

living trees and shrubs, attack fruit, vegetable and sugarcane crops and is not averse to attacking leather and hide, cables, bitumen, salt and flour, metals, plastic

and glass. The damage bill to agriculture and horticulture in tropical Australia alone runs into tens of millions of dollars annually. Definitely a termite to be feared.