On average, homeowners and real estate investors pay thousands of dollars for termite repairs—a statistic reported way back in 2016. Now, imagine the same figure after annual inflation rates. As unfortunate as the statistic may sound, it gets worse considering the fact that a lot of termite activities remain undetected until visible signs appear years later. By the time that happens, it may be too late as the damage caused by white ants then would have become extensive, that pursuing renovations will come as a given.
Before you end up spending a fortune replacing termite-damaged timber on a property, it’d be best to get a termite inspection done the soonest.
The Need for Timber Pest Inspection
Discovering a termite infestation in or around a home is, understandably, a cause for alarm. However, property owners often react hastily, doing ill-advised actions like removing damaged timber or spraying exposed termites with common household insecticides. In reality, this decision is counter-productive as this can drive the termites away from where they were found originally, making subsequent inspection and eradication a little more difficult than it needs to be.
If you suspect termite activity somewhere in a property, the best course of action is to call termite inspectors immediately. With their expertise, you not only determine the current level of termite infestation but also trace every potential entry point into the place. Equipped with the right equipment and experience, the inspectors can adequately locate the termites in their hiding spots. Theoretically speaking, this guarantees effective management later on as the preventive systems and barriers can be installed directly into the actual source of the problem.
If Termites Are Discovered
Once your requested report from pre purchase termite inspections indicates timber pest activity, the next steps you can pursue will depend—to some extent—on the wording of the special condition in the Offer and Acceptance form. If you’ve included inspection as a special condition in the O&A, you may be able to resolve the matter with the seller before the final settlement. Resolution may come in the form of you proceeding with the purchase after repairs and treatment or terminating the contract altogether.
When the special condition requires the property seller to pay for timber pest damage and treatment, go for the former and immediately write to the vendor or real estate agent. Outline the expected repairs and treatment that you want done before closing the deal. This way, you can get the appropriate termite inspection and treatment (as well as repairs) performed prior to you signing the sales contract. But if the special condition only allows you to terminate the contract, do give a written notice of termination to the seller (or his/her agent) in accordance to the terms of the said document.
These are the potential courses of action involved in pre-purchase scenarios. What if the pest inspection was done after signing the sale contract, though? In this case, the inspector may recommend a variety of termite control treatments that you can pursue.
We do recommend that you the purchaser engage your own pest control company for the eradication of termite activity, this way any warranty will be to you and not to the vendor. The vendor may not always choose the best company for the job and choose the cheapest treatment available.
Remedial Termite Treatments
After identifying termite activity in a property, a pest control Melbourne technician may propose to get termite control measures done with the goal of colony elimination in mind. To control the termite colony present in a property, it takes more than just simply applying chemicals. Techniques and technology have to go hand in hand in order to drive the white ants out of the present structure.
Speaking of which, here are a few remedial treatments that termite inspectors may propose that you do for a real estate asset infested with the said pest:
- Dusting workings – Dusting termites involves skill as applying termiticide in powdered form into the workings of a colony is quite difficult. It often takes a good understanding of where entry points are typically located to be able to effectively determine where to perform this treatment method. Certain times of the year can also affect the effectiveness of this methodology, especially if it involves baiting.
- Above-ground live baiting – In case the termite nest can’t be found with the initial ocular inspection, baiting may become necessary. It is among the many effective ways to eliminate the said pests; more so when the species you’re dealing with are the kind that are relatively quick to bait.
- Nest treatment – The most important part of any termite treatment is this one. The aim is to eliminate the colony by way of killing the queen/s (yes, there may often be more than one in a single colony) before they scout another entry point into adjacent timber features. The reason for this is that surviving termite nests can last for as long as 30 years. When dealing with elusive nests, baiting may even be employed.
- Foaming wall cavities – In circumstances where the inspector knows the exact location of the nest, introducing a non-repellent termiticide intro termite workings may often be deemed the best approach to eradicate the infestation problem.
- Zone treatment – This long-term method involves treating the soil with an APVMA-approved termiticide. This is usually done around the property’s perimeter and even under the slabs to prevent further termite entry.
Minimising Termite Damage with Vigilance
Any property owner or investor has to seriously consider getting termite inspections done before and after real estate purchases. With nearly 300 types of termites existing in the country, it wouldn’t be too far fetched to think that one species may find their way into your place without you knowing. Before any can cause enough damage to render the property unsafe for occupancy, do your part to fortify the building against these destructive pests.
To help you with such a lofty goal, give our team a call and we’ll turn your property into an impregnable fortress that not even the most voracious termites can break into.