How often should I get my home inspected for termites?
Think of an annual termite inspection like your yearly dentist appointment. It’s not fun, but it is vital to be proactive before a small problem becomes significant and painful!
Do you know what to look for?
What are the signs of termites in your home, and how often should you look?
As the homeowner, you are the first line of defence. You should always stay vigilant for the telltale signs of termites. It is surprising how quickly you notice crumbling paintwork or a soft piece of timber. But you might not pick up these signs if you don’t know what to look for.
Signs of termite in your home. Read more ….
If you don’t know what to look for and are not keen to get into the roof and crawl through the subfloor, you should engage a professional with the right detection devices and experience.
Just because you haven’t had visible evidence of termites in your home, it doesn’t mean they are not there now!
How Often Should I Get A Termite Inspection?
The Australian Standards 3660.2 recommend that homeowners have a qualified pest control technician inspect their property for termites every 12 months. This is the minimum requirement; some houses might need more frequent inspections due to construction, age and high termite pressure (near bushland).
If you don’t have a termite barrier (external chemical treatment) continuously around the external perimeter of your home, termites can gain concealed entry or enter by mud leads at any time. This is why you might be told to get your home inspected more frequently.
Consumer warning:
If you have a recently constructed house on a concrete slab, termite protection should have been installed at the time of construction to stop termites from gaining concealed entry around the penetrations (pipes).
Usually, nothing is in place to stop termites bridging from the soil up the slab edge.The builder is meant to leave a 75 mm visual inspection zone along the slab for you to do regular checks. The driveway, concrete pathways and landscaping always compromise this.
If I’ve had Termites in the past, should I get an Inspection more frequently?
How frequently your home should be inspected depends if you have had a termite treatment installed and all conducive conditions have been resolved.
Another factor could be ’termite pressure’. If your house is near bushland, a creek or surrounded by large gum trees, there will be multiple termite nests.
When you have a large mature termite colony aggressively foraging towards your home, there is a chance they might punch through the chemical treatment.
When we recommend a more frequent inspection cycle.
- No current treatment If there is no current termite treatment in place, then we are duty-bound to recommend that your home is inspected every three months. This might seem excessive, but our insurance and the Australian Standards require this.
- Have a current termite treatment, but there is significant termite pressure. Sometimes we recommend having three monthly inspections after a severe termite infestation until we are confident the treatment is working.
Once we are confident things have settled down, an annual termite inspection is enough to maintain the treatment warranty and to detect any new conducive conditions. Remember, you must be vigilant for 12 months and report any concerns as there are no absolutes with termite treatments - barriers.
What if my neighbours have termites? Should I get an Inspection?
Termites are a very communal problem. Termites can travel up to 100 meters from their nest in search of food. That can be 5 houses either way! A fence is no barrier to termites; it’s just something they chew on the way to your place!
When there has been a confirmed case of termites in one of your neighbour’s homes, it’s essential to have a qualified technician come out and inspect your property straight away.
If you have termites, do the right thing and let all your surrounding neighbours know. They might be facing the same bad experience and are totally unaware.
Does the season make any difference to the frequency of termite attacks?
In Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, termites are relentlessly searching for timber, operating year-round, 24/7, without respite. Termites can enter your home in winter or summer.
Termite season in Brisbane Read more …
So, there is no ‘ideal’ time of the year to get an inspection. Just get it done at least every 12 months. Remember, calling a pest control technician to inspect your home won’t stop you from getting termites, only having an appropriate termite treatment will. But a termite inspector can identify termites in their early destruction stage and prevent severe structural damage to your home.
The key to reducing the level of damage is having an inspection of your property by a qualified technician once a year, every year.
What would be the reason behind having more Inspections?
The main reason behind having regular inspections, specifically for termite prevention and control, is to detect termite activity early and prevent further damage to your property. The following reasons support this:
Summary
- Best thing is to have a current termite management system in place to protect your home
- Get regular termite inspections done - to the frequency your professional pest inspector’s advice
How Conquer Termites conducts a termite inspection
Time to get the professionals in?
If you suspect that you have termites in your home, it’s important to seek the assistance of a professional to determine the extent of the infestation and the best course of action for treatment.
A Conquer Termites Inspector knows the best way to accurately assess the situation and provide a comprehensive report on the steps to eliminate the termites.
