Fact: You or your neighbour are probably sharing your garden with a colony of termites.

This in itself is not such a bad thing. With their tremendous appetites they are actually very beneficial to the soil and provide a nutrient rich food source to many other creatures.

Shame they just don’t stay in the garden!

It’s a heart stopping moment when you see a muddling trail travelling up through the brick foundations of your home or notice some other sign that the termites have ventured from outside to inside.

The heartbreaking moment comes when you realise the extent of damage. The termites may have been slowly eating the internal concealed structure going undetected for years.

Based upon CSIRO data and an APCA national survey:

• Termites are known to destroy the wall and roofing timbers of a home within 3 months of construction.

• Termites cause more damage to homes in Australia than fire, floods, storms and tempest, combined.

But you’ve got insurance right? Wrong!

Most insurance policies will cover the home for sudden and unforeseeable events.  These listed or defined events commonly include fire, storm/cyclone, lightning, rainwater and wind damage, earthquake, theft and damage caused during a robbery.

Insurance companies do not cover damage or loss caused by insects, vermin or rodents. Termites are classified as an insect, so any damage incurred is totally at the home owners expense. This includes the tree with a termite nest that falls and damages the shared neighbour fence.

As Sarah Borrows, from Ward Keller Lawyers, wrote: “Negligence can be proved if there was an obvious risk, before the cyclone, that the tree was likely to cause damage and the neighbour failed to do anything about it.  Examples include noticeably dangerous trees that are decaying, falling down or losing branches, suffering termite infestation, trees that have been planted in an inappropriate environment or where complaints by neighbours have been made about the tree and ignored.”

The cost of a termite management system may seem a little daunting at first, however dividing the full amount over the manufacturers warranty puts things into a more affordable perspective. There is the additional cost of an annual inspection but this is small in comparison if the worst was to happen and the peace of mind you gain.

So, don’t wait for that strong wind or big storm, call us NOW to ensure your trees and property are termite free. 1300 417 007