Termites cause destruction and damage to thousands of homes every year. Our homes are our most valuable asset, so it is important to ensure they are protected from possible termite attack. Termites are attracted to wood, so any timbers such as old tree stumps, and untreated timbers in your yard are an attractant. In addition to this, termites are also great attracted to areas of high moisture such as down pipes, hot water and air-conditioning overflows. Preferring humid conditions, termites most commonly make their entry through timbers in contact with the ground, through weep holes and through cracks in a slab or through slab joints.
Many homeowners already do have protection in place and also ensure they have regular annual termite inspections. Sandgate Pest Control recommends re-installing your termite protection after 5 years. So if you have some drilled holes with plugs spaced out around the perimeter of your home on concrete paths or tiled areas or some injection box points, it is recommended your termite protection be re-installed.
For those homeowners whose property is unprotected, an annual termite pest inspection is highly recommended as per the Australian Standard. An annual termite inspection allows our experienced technicians to examine all areas of the home and identify if all active (live) termites. Many changes can occur over a 12 month period including growth of garden foliage and any changes made to the perimeter of the home such as additional garden beds and the installation of pathways or other building structures. Following an annual termite inspection, property owners can then protect their home by installing a chemical soil treatment. Termites travel underground through the soil, so by installing a chemical soil treatment the termites need to travel through the treated soil.