Termite Damage Photo

Have you ever seen television current affairs programmes showing unfortunate families whose homes were found to be destroyed by termites shortly after they were given the “all clear” by inexperienced or rogue pest controllers? Their homes and their lives have also been destroyed. You watch and wonder how this much damage could have been missed. The reporter pulls off wall sheeting to expose large packs of termite packing where the timber framing used to be and everyone is shocked at what they see……

Check our Blogs below where I explain some of the things that could have gone wrong so that you’ll never let it happen to you. If you are a home owner or you are buying a home, here are some things that you should be aware of.

• How to find a good Building and Pest Inspector when buying a new home
• What’s involved in a Termite Inspection?
• Types of Homes and their Termite Risk Level

Here’s some good advice:-

• Check the Inspectors  BSA license numbers on the QBSA website. See if they have had any rectification orders. See how long they have been licensed. Make sure they’ve got lots of Experience. At Termite Solutions, We send No Learners!
• Don’t choose a building inspector that does both building and pest inspections. He won’t have any practical termite treatment experience. He may not provide practical advice on termites.
• Make sure you attend the inspection. Don’t be afraid to ask the inspectors any questions that you may have.
• Once they have done their inspections and explained their findings to you during the inspection, you’ll need to read the report thoroughly.
• ‘No Termites Found’ does not mean ‘No Risk’.  Read on…
• Read the Report! Act on the recommendations as soon as you can. Negotiate any issues immediately. BSA issues must be addressed prior to the contract becoming unconditional.
• Once you buy the home, act on the recommendations in the report.
• If the inspectors recommended that work be carried out, there is probably a reason for this, so try to negotiate the cost with the seller. Get some quotes from reputable companies and have the work or treatment carried out as soon as you move in, not after termites have eaten you out of house and home. Don’t be a Termite Statistic!

A Termite Inspection usually takes around an hour and a half, and may involve, inspecting fences trees and the grounds and crawling under the house and through your roof, and inspecting the walls with expensive equipment such as moisture meters, infra red imagers, borescopes and the provision of a report. If you’ve been offered a ‘Free’ termite inspection, then you can be guaranteed that a ‘sales pitch’ will soon follow. You get what you pay for with termite inspections and termite treatments, so make sure you choose a reputable firm for your termite protection. Termite Solutions have been under the same management since 1996, so you can feel safe that we’ll be there in the future for your  termite protection warranty.

If you’ve been visited by a Hit Man, then you’re going be very happy with a Termite Solutions quote. Contact Termite Solutions now for a sensible ‘no obligation’ Termidor quote. Termite Solutions – Free Termite Quotes.

Our Termite Protection Proposal may take up to an hour and may include an inspection of the roof or under the house, but you won’t be charged for it. We do lots of quotes, most people want a free termite treatment quote, we understand that, but if there are termites in your building then we recommend that a thorough inspection and report be carried out first, including thermal imaging so you’ll know exactly where the problems are.

Once a termite inspection has been carried out, there is no guessing as to where the termites are lurking in your walls, and your termite treatment can be customized to match your budget. We’re experts at termite nest location, and Termidor barrier treatments as we are Termidor Accredited Applicators, so we’ll do our best to find and treat the nest for you and protect your home with a Termidor Treatment.

If there is some termite damage, we can recommend and co-ordinate Termite Damage Specialists to assist with the repairs. To book a Free Termite Treatment Quote or Termite Inspection contact Termite Solutions on 1800 009 229.

Termite Solutions will provide a complimentary rodent baiting service in your roof with an inspection or treatment as a safety measure. Just let us know if you think there’s a problem when you make a booking, and we’ll make sure to bring some rodent products with us.

As for the Free Visual Check, you’re not likely to receive an inspection to the Australian standard; probably no moisture meter, no thermal camera, usually not even a ‘donger’ and most importantly, no ‘Termite Inspection Report’. That’s why the term ‘Inspection’ is never used by these guys, always ‘Visual Check’ i.e. No Australian Standards need to be adhered to.

The next add on is when you get ‘Hit Up’ with a quote of $6000 or more for 12 months termite monitoring of a normal sized home.

Watch which way the gun is Pointed

For Parliament House maybe, but not for your house. That’s Crazy!

Read the fine print if you’ve already received a quote! For your questionable ‘investment’ you’ll receive 6 termite monitoring stations ( cost price approximately $27 each ) and 3 or 4 site visits to check the stations. This amounts to almost $2000 per visit. That’s for the first year. There’s no mention of the damage to your bank balance for next years ‘investment’, or the year after ad infinitum!

“When you hire a Hit Man, watch which way the gun is pointed”.

Termite Solutions and Barry Moore Building Inspections

Your Real Estate Agent may not be the best person to ask for recommendations for Building and Pest Inspections in Brisbane. Agents often provide cards from the large firms who offer incentives for referrals. Large firms also require their inspectors to carry out up to 9 inspections in a day, so don’t expect to get answers to your questions. You’ll need to read the 21 page report and work it out for yourself. They’ll be in a hurry.

Your agent may recommend his ‘favourite’ inspector for the job, possibly the fastest inspector. Our experience is that they recommend one inspector for their clients and use another for their own inspections. Termite Solutions recommend the services of Barry Moore Building Inspections. Barry Moore Building Inspections and Termite Solutions have carried out thousands of Pre Purchase Inspectionstogether.

Here are some suggestions:-

• Ask your Building Inspector and Pest Inspector to walk you through the inspection and explain the results to you, so the report doesn’t confuse you.
• Don’t assume that there won’t be any problems in the home you are buying. Often sellers try to hide problems.  You may be surprised what a competent inspector with a thermal image camera will find. We look for cover-ups.
• Choose inspectors with good reputations and check their BSA licence numbers on the QBSA website. They have a free license search facility on the site.
• Don’t use one inspector that does both building and pest inspections, i.e. a ‘Jack of All Trades, Master of None’. There’s too much at risk.

Our insurers tell us that these are the guys that are making the mistakes.

Contact Termite Solutions to book Pre-purchase Building and Pest Inspections with Barry Moore and Mal Brewer. One Call and We’ll Do it All. We’ll organise the inspection with the buyers and sellers, the agents, tenants etc. If you need a Pool Inspection, we can organise that also. Freecall 1800 009 229.

There's no early warning of termites when you have Meranti trims.

There’s no early warning of termites when you have Meranti trims.

Some homes are built with termite resistant skirting boards, architraves and door jambs. That’s Good, Right??? No, that’s bad, because the owners or inexperienced inspectors don’t get early warning of termite attack.

The damage happens inside the walls, and roof timbers are eaten. These are the homes where we see the really serious damage as seen on TV. You see, termites don’t usually touch these decorative timbers when they are made of MDF or Meranti, so usually there are no signs of damage as framing is eaten.

Early warning signals in Pine Trims

These photos show a home built with Meranti trims, which was commonly used in AV Jennings homes and high class homes. Once Meranti and MDF are painted you’ll need an experienced inspector to tell the difference. It is then imperative that your inspector uses a moisture metre and high resolution infrared camera ( Thermal camera ) to check the walls. He’ll also need to inspect the roof timbers carefully to look for damage because a tapping stick ( or donger ) probably won’t find the damage by tapping alone.

Book both a professional building inspector and a pest inspector for your inspections and check they have clean BSA licenses and that they are qualified for this type of work. Don’t ask your mate the builder to ‘have a look’ for you. Your friendship could be short lived if he misses something.

High Risk Homes

Firstly, some homes are much more susceptible than others to serious undetected termite damage.

Brick veneer homes and homes built on concrete slabs are at much higher risk than homes on stumps such as Queenslanders. Believe it or not, if you live in an original Queenslander style home or timber home on stumps with adequate ant capping, then you are at a much lower risk of serious termite damage than those in Brick veneer homes. As a rule: Brick homes get termites, while Queenslanders get borers.

Brick veneer homes ( most modern homes ) have a brick exterior or façade and an untreated timber frame that supports the roof. As termites eat these homes from the inside out as seen on television, the damage often goes undetected until skirting boards and window frames (insert photo) start to disappear. That’s when you realize you have a problem. Contact Termite Solutions!

If you own or are buying a Brick Veneer home, you are buying a high risk home. Book professional building and pest inspections before you buy it and have it inspected ‘at least’ annually thereafter without fail.

 Swarming termites or Alates inside your house may be a sign of a bigger problem. Flying reproductive termites swarm from October until February. Inside the home, they drop their wings. Window sills and door frames and skirting boards should be checked for damage. Termites often eat the timber but  leave the paint to protect themselves from predators and drying out. It may be necessary to open small holes in damaged timbers to see if termites are present. If you find flying termites or termites on the carpet or floor call our Talk to a Tech number or upload photos of your findings to our technician for a fast ID.

2. If I have termites in my house, what do I do?

First, do not panic. Although termites can cause severe damage, they work slowly. Your house will not collapse overnight.  If you find termites, don’t disturb them!  This helps with identification of the species. They are easily disturbed and may leave the area. Termites which have been undisturbed can be treated with Termidor Dust to eliminate the colony from your home.

3. If Neighbour has termites in their house. Will I get termites?

If your neighbours’ house has termites, this does not mean your house will have them. However it is not unusual for after a termite treatment that an adjoining house will be infested. It does mean that your house is at above average risk of a termite infestation. It is a good idea to have your home inspected at least annually and to keep your termite treatment up to date. Treatments last around 8 years. We recommend re-treatment prior to the expiration of the life expectancy. We only use Termidor.

4. How do I tell the difference between termites and ants?

The main differences between ants and termites are that ants have a clearly defined head, thorax and abdomen with constrictions between them ( like wasps) while termites are broadly joined between the thorax and abdomen. In other words, ants have a narrow or pinched waist and termites do not. The front and hind wings of termites are approximately equal in size while the hind wings of ants are much smaller than their front wings.

5. My house is only new, could I get termites?

Many houses have remained termite free for years while some new houses get termites in just a few months. Our business has treated numerous building under five years old that have been infested with termites. If your house has a termite infestation shortly after it has been built it could be due to many reasons such as construction techniques, landscaping, plants and shrubs, moisture leaks and renovations.  You are required to have at least annual inspections carried out in your new home or your warranty is Void and your builder will not take responsibility for the damage. How long since your home was properly inspected?

6. I heard that if I find ants around my house, I won’t get termites. Is this correct?

No, there is no correlation between the two. While both will favour similar habitats, such as mulch beds, wood piles, etc., they are mortal enemies of one another, and finding one does not mean that the other is soon to follow.

7. How do subterranean termites get into a house?

Very easily. All they need is a tiny gap in the brick work or around services such as electricity and water pipes . They may enter directly from the soil, or they may build airtight tubes leading from their colony in the soil to the wood of your house. A house is a large target to a termite.

8. Are baits better or worse than conventional termiticide treatment to the soil?

Termite baits are an old technology for termite control with new products being released from time to time. They all rely on termites finding and entering plastic pots buried in the gardens ( Monitoring Stations ) up to 4 or maximum 6 metres apart to feed on timber inside the pots, then having the special growth regulators applied to the stations. Then it’s hit or miss whether termites feed on the products selected. If installed, monitored and maintained correctly, baits can be used as another tool to control termites. Whether or not they work better than liquid treatments to soil, will be debated by pest control  firms. What is certain is that baits will cost more than traditional Barrier Treatments and you won’t get the peace of mind provided by products such as Termidor. Liquid treatments to soil are used to kill termites quickly and to create a barrier to prevent entry or re-entry into a structure. Liquid termiticides give quicker results, than baits, even when compared with the newer non-repellent termiticides that are available. Baits on the other hand, can take from a few months to 1 or 2 years to control termites. It depends on how long it takes the termites to find the bait stations. Some advantages for bait technology are they can be installed in a short amount of time, its less intrusive, they may be your only choice for homes with construction issues and if you want a limited amount of pesticide applied in or around your home, baits might be your control method of choice.

9. If I put mulch in the flowerbeds against my house, will it attract termites?

Any source of cellulose would be attractive to termites. Damp conditions under layers of mulch are ideal habitat for termites. Landscape mulch, preferably Cypress Mulch  should be used sparingly and care should be taken not to place mulch against wood siding, weep holes or slab edges

10. Our house was treated just a few years ago. Why do we have termites again?

Firstly, this is a rare occurrence after a Termite Solutions Termidor treatment.  When a chemical is applied professionally, and to manufacturers specification by an experienced licensed termite technician, it should give you control for at least five years.  Drill holes in concrete should be close to the walls, say 75mm. and close to each other, less than 20cm for Termidor. The further the drill holes are apart, the more chance of termites returning. If the house was not treated to the above specifications, or the soil barrier was disturbed, then Termites foraging in the soil may find an opening in the barrier allowing termites entry back into your house.  This rarely happens with Termidor. Ensuring that drill holes are close together and trenches reach the footings is the key. There are several other important facts about termites and termite treatments that you should know, that most termite companies won’t tell you or don’t know, but we’ll explain them all to you when you book in an inspection with us on Freecall 1800 009 229.

Here is my ‘most important’ list.

Termites must have moisture or they will die. Dripping taps, hot water systems and air-con runoff beside walls will attract termites.

• Plumbers are cheaper than new walls so FIX THE LEAKS! Our inspectors use moisture meters to detect termites in walls.
• Termites often nest in tree stumps and under old sleepers. Are there any tree stumps and sleepers in your yard. Take a few minutes and have a look!! Remove all stumps by stump grinding.
• The idea is to keep termites as far away from your home as possible. Dump all loose timbers, logs, untreated sleepers and unnecessary landscaping timbers. Termites love them.
• With some modern concrete slab homes it is important that you ensure the edge of the slab is left exposed. Weep holes in between the bricks, found immediately above the slab, must also be left exposed. By building up gardens or soil levels over the edge of the slab or termimesh or over the weep holes you may
  allow termites to gain undetected entry into your home and bridge Treated Zones.
•  Australian Standards recommend at least annual termite inspections.  When was your last inspection? How long could termites have been in your walls?
•  Take a few minutes to check your skirting boards and architraves for signs of damage. Not sure what to look for? See our Termite damage gallery for examples. Think you have got a problem, then we have a tech waiting for your call or email us your photos for a quick diagnosis. See our contact page.
•  Poor ventilation and drainage under homes is a major cause of termite issues. Drain storm water away from walls. Install powered vents under your house if necessary. Keep it dry
•  Thinking of selling your home? Make sure it’s free of problems before the buyers inspectors turn up. A few termites in your yard or home and you can kiss the buyers goodbye. Call us for your pre-purchase or pre-sale inspections.
• Landscaping timbers look great, especially to Termites! If they’re not treated, consider dumping them, or get them off the ground.

FACT 1: 90 + % of our termite damage jobs are in brick veneer homes, not old timber homes. 

 FACT 2: Termites can destroy hardwood! They’re just a little slower than in pine.

FACT 3: Termites and ants can exist close to each other. Having black ants does not mean you don’t have termites.

Termite Solutions has used Termidor exclusively since 2006 and we’ve found Termidor to be the most effect termite control product that we have ever used.

Termidor is produced by BASF the chemical company and has been trialed for around 15 years. More than 3 million homes in the United States have been protected by Termidor, and the recall rate, i.e. termites getting back in a treated home is very small. It has been registered for use in Australia in 2005. We’ve used  Termidor  since that time with outstanding success.  We’ve treated over 4,000 Brisbane homes with Termidor and unlike the old smelly products that termites could detect and go around, they wont avoid Termidor. Here are some interesting facts about Termidor and Termidor Dust.

Features and Benefits of Termidor

• Acts on the termite’s nervous system.
• Its speed of activity is dose dependent; the higher the dose the quicker it acts.
• It is active on termites through both contact as well as ingestion .
• Termidor is non-repellent.  Termites will not avoid treated soil, and will consume substrates containing even very high concentrations of fipronil (the active ingredient in Termidor.
• Fipronil is also capable of being transferred between active termites.
  • Studies using radioactive labeled fipronil have been able to trace the transfer of fipronil from both soil to termites and from termites to other termites .
  • Foraging termites pick up fipronil through ingestion and contact with the treated soil.
  • Contaminated termites return and contact other uncontaminated termites.
  • Fipronil is then transferred to the uncontaminated termites via contact, grooming, and exchange of food.
• A transfer affect takes place and termites die in large numbers.
• Fipronil is slow acting and allows for termites to spread it within the nest before they die.
• Fipronil is not hazardous to humans and other mammals but is highly effective against insects.
• Fipronil is also marketed as Frontline Flea control for dogs and cats.
• When applied according to Australian Standards, Termidor is 100% effective.
• Studies show Termidor is still effective after 8 years and possibly longer.
• Termidor strongly binds to soil particles and is resistant to leaching.
• Termidor is not absorbed by plants.
• Even 1 part per million will control termites.
• As they say…” If you’re not asking for Termidor, You’re asking for trouble”

Termite Solutions is an Accredited Termidor Applicator and you will find us listed on their site on this page: http://www.termidor.com.au