Are you worried your Tweed Coast property might be home to termites? Don’t leave it too late and inspect your property today! Termites are soft-bodied insects who live in large colonies and feed on cellulose-based plant materials found in woody materials used to construct your home—making them your home’s worst enemy. Known as the ‘silent destroyers’, they can often be thriving within your home with no immediate signs of damage, until it’s too late. To help Tweed Coast homeowners, we’ve gathered a few handy tips for avoiding and detecting a termite infestation early that could save you thousands of dollars down the track.
Tips for avoiding termites
Don’t disturb
If you’ve detected some form of termite activity on your home or you’ve found a suspicious looking mound under the house, don’t touch it! Call a Tweed Coast pest control expert straight away and have them take a look. Disturbing termite activity can prompt them to move elsewhere, causing more widespread damage.
Get rid of your excess wood
While having leftover timber lying near the house may be handy for your next renovation job, it’s not smart if you want to avoid a termite infestation. Store any timber well away from the house in a dry, ventilated area. Also, if you have any decayed tree stumps near the house, consider getting them removed.
Reduce humidity
The key to avoiding termites is making sure that every part of your home is well ventilated. Any plumbing issues—like cracked pipes and drainage faults—causing excess moisture around your home should be fixed as soon as possible.
Detecting termites
Do these checks as often as you can and remember that you’re not necessarily looking for the termites themselves, but their shelter tubes, nests or weak and collapsed timber.
Garden
Have a walk around your garden focusing on indicators of their presence such as loose timbers or sources of moisture. Check any tree stumps around your home for signs of decay and any retaining walls that may be in contact with the ground. Also, have a close look under any garden-bed plastic as termites love travelling through moist areas like that.
Exterior
Do a perimeter check of your home, looking at each and every weep hole on your brick walls. Take a look at every piece of ant capping and if your floor is suspended, check the stumps under your home.
Interior
Using a screwdriver, go around tapping on every timber wall inside your home listening for any hollow sounds. Also, you can try running a torch over your walls looking for any suspicious areas or imperfections that look out of the ordinary.
Roof
If you don’t mind a few cobwebs and working in confined spaces, hop into your roof with a torch and check any top plates and trusses for damage.
Want to know for sure?
While this DIY guide can help determine whether you might have termites, you won’t know for sure unless you get professional help. Luckily we’ve found the best Tweed Coast pest control experts who can take a look for you.
Peace of Mind Termite & Pest Management
If you’re worried your property might be home to a termite infestation, give the team at Peace of Mind Termite and Pest Management a call today. With more than 20 years’ local experience in the industry, they can provide a same-day response to any termite-related enquiries you may have. Using the latest in barrier and bait technology, Peace of Mind Termite and Pest Control will make sure your current or potential property is not home to any hidden nasties.
Where: Servicing all areas from Brisbane to Byron Bay.
Specialising in eradicating cockroaches, white ants, termites and rodents, if you have a pest issue at your home, Amalgamated Pest Control are able to help. Not looking to take any chances when it comes to termites? This Australian-owned company uses the Termatrac T3i—the most advanced termite detection device in the world—so you can have peace of mind knowing you’re in capable hands. If you want to sleep easy knowing your home is pest free, contact Amalgamated Pest Control today.
Servicing: Murwillumbah and Tweed Coast Shire.
Have you ever had found signs of termites in your home? Tell us what you did about this in the comments below!
