'Tis the season to be jolly! 'Tis also the season to be vigilant!
Summer brings many things; summer storms, Christmas holidays, fun in the sun, beach days but it also bring about pests, in particular, termites.
Termites cost Australian home owners millions nationwide in both treatments and repairs after a termite attack. Without at least annual termite inspections you are setting yourself up for a nasty and expensive surprise.
This last year alone we have attended more surprise termite attacks that we can count and each time the home owner was caught unawares in the midst of a major termite attack. These attacks generated enormous repairs bills well into the thousands!
And repairs are just one part of it...if you are one of the unlucky many that uncover active termites there are few things you need to do reasonably quickly:
1. You will need a termite inspection by a licensed timber pest inspector
A termite inspection is the first and most important step because how can you solve a problem if you don't know how big that problem really is? A termite inspection will help determine how extensive the damage is and if you need to contact a builder to assess the structural integrity of the home. The inspection is also key in the technician being able to make the right recommendations for you and your home.
2. You will need to treat the termites
After you know where the termites are, you need to stop them from eating your home and biggest asset. For ease and usually to save money we recommend using the same pest controller for both the inspection and treatment for the simple reason that the inspecting technician will just know where, how and what they're treating and will be able to apply a better treatment. Based on what is found, the tech may use a foaming agent, dust or bait to treat the active termite. Our main goal here is to kill the attacking termites.
3. You will need to protect the home
Once the infestation is taken care of you will need to install protection to prevent this happening in the future. The treatment of the termites will kill the attacking termites but does not offer any protecting moving forward and we have seen cases where even less than 1 year after a treatment, termites are back in the same spot as last time, using the same entry points. In order to close off this entry point your pest controller will recommend a chemical barrier. If a barrier is not possible or reasonable we will usually recommend a monitoring and baiting system. See our website for more details.
1 in 4 homes in Queensland will see active termites in its lifetime. What this means is that we as Brisbane home owners need to be vigilant and make sure our termite protection is up to date to avoid an expensive repair bill. Keeping your termite protection current will not only save you from the headache of dealing with termites but it will actually add value to your home.
Have questions?
Call us on 38232500 and speak to our friendly team about arranging a termite inspection or free termite check!