Summer Termite Warning!

Termite warnings have been arriving in droves lately. Through various pest controllers, newspapers, on the radio and television; we are beuing warned about the risk of termites on our most precious possession - our homes!

The latest comes from television show 'Today Tonight' airing a story titled, Super Termites Alert. Experts highlighted the risk of 'Super Termites' and how the variation between wet and warm weather conditions has provided the perfect breeding conditions for the pests. It is amazing to think that these small creatures can destroy an entire home within 6-12 months, without the homeowner realising until it is too late. In fact, termites destroy more homes than fires, floods or storms!

More and more homes will be at risk this summer, with some news sources saying major termite swarms are expected. Major issues have been sited in Geelong, The Dandenongs and the Yarra Ranges, but experts are saying this could be one of the worst termite seasons for Melbourne.

Termites cause their damage by building mud tubes through timber, stumps or piers to travel through. These tubes connect from the timber the are eating to their nest. They feed on the timber framing of your home, which means a swarm can end up eating the entire frame from the inside out. Everything may look seemingly normal from the inside, but looking behind the plaster could cause utter devastation.

You can avoid thousands of dollars in damage by booking annual termite inspections for your home, or if you're in a termite prone area, there are many preventative measures that can be taken to minimise the risk of termite infestation.

The best measure you can take is to termite-proof before building a new home. This greatly reduces the chances of your home being attacked.

Make sure you check to ensure that annual termite inspections have been carried our before purchasing a new property, or you could risk this!

Check out this fact sheet from the CSIRO.

Is It Really Termites?!

If you’ve recently had a termite specialist assess damage in your property and the outcome wasn’t good, then get a second opinion. I know you’ve probably spent about $300 dollars to have an inspection carried out but there are other ways of getting an expert opinion, which will cost you nothing at all.

Find a reputable company to identify the damage by emailing them images of the damaged timber or area in question, the damage may not include the presence of termites but a professional termite specialist can distinguish the difference between borer damage, weather damage or termite damage.

You don’t have a computer? don’t despair most pest control companies will come out to the property site free of charge and identify the damage. Don’t accept one opinion, there are over zealous companies out there who will stop at nothing at making a buck, and who insist on unecessary expensive treatments.

Once damage has been identified then you can invest in having your property inspected, this is to determine whether there is termite activity present. If activity has been established your next course of action will be to have a termite treatment carried out, this will protect your home for up to 10 years.

Depending on the accessibility of the area to be treated and the size of the property, a treatment may set you back between $1,500 and $5,000 this is a small price to pay to protect your greatest asset, remember you can’t get insurance for termites.

Termites are destructive and can destroy a home in a matter of a few years, so even if you don’t have termites a wise move is a preventative treatment. If a treatment is not financially viable, then an inspection at least every 12 months will detect termites, before they have had a chance to do any major damage.

Household Pest Control

When you’re considering pest control for your property remember that pest control is just that, control not elimination. It is important to have a pest control treatment regularly at least every 6 - 12 months depending on the severity of the problem, this will keep your property pest free all year round.

Pest control is seasonal so a general pest treatment now, just before Summer will protect your property from spiders, ants, earwigs, silverfish, cockroaches, fleas, slaters basically all crawling pests.

Winter brings with it another set of problems, rats, mice and possums. These rodents can be destructive and cause havoc, just like insects treating and proofing your property will prevent them from causing you grief.