This paper describes physical and experimental methods and a mathematical model (Rotramel 2003) to assist in estimating the age of subterranean termite attack and damage to building structures. Timber, building and termite management industries have to develop new strategies to assess and estimate termite attack and damage in the current climate of global warming. A case study will be used as an example of this approach, which is particularly fruitful in producing scientific data together with termite experts’ opinions over many years of termite experimentation in laboratory and field studies. We recommend developing such approach for termite inspections and treatments to be adopted by the architect, building, and termite management industries and their insurers, and be incorporated into Australian Standards and gazetted by the Building Council of Australia. Such an approach will be particularly fruitful to resolve disputes as to who is responsible for the costs of replacement and repair to subterranean termite attack and damage in Australia. Suggestions are offered to determine relative age and identification of individual termite species using other scientific techniques, particularly near-infrared spectroscopy, that would also present immense opportunities for various evolutionary studies on the dynamics of natural populations of termites and their microbial symbionts.

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