Termite Inspection

Termite Inspections and Pre-purchase Reports are an important part of home maintenance.

By now everyone realises that it’s wise to get a termite report before you buy a home.

It is also advisable to have your home checked for termites every 6 – 12 months as recommended in the Australian Standards 3660.

Comprehensive pre-treatment and post-treatment termite inspections.

Termite inspections usually take between one and two hours.  They should be carried out by termite technicians who hold up-to-date pest control licenses (Including Timber Pests) and who are preferably experienced.  When they have finished checking your home, they will sit down with you and discuss their findings and recommendations so that you have a clear understanding of what, if any termite activity is found.  After discussing your termite activity with you, they should also provide a written quotation for any rectification and treatment that they feel is needed.

Inspectors use a range of methods when investigating termites and preparing quotes.

The tools they utilise include:

• Moisture meter
• Borescope
• Donger/sounder
• Super-sensitive listening devices
• Digital photos to clarify extra details if necessary
• Termatrac®
• Thermal imaging cameras (not always effective)

In the assessment & quotation you will be correctly advised on all the steps you should take to reduce termite activity around your home.  A choice of treatment options should be clearly explained to you.

Price?

Tip: Don’t get a cheap job!

You don’t want to risk your home to a non-professional.

You can expect to pay at least $250 from a top quality company and in many cases as high as $700.

Why not consider doing your own termite inspection?

If you’ve got the nouce and don’t mind getting your hands dirty and a bit of hard work, we can show you how to do your own inspection.  It won’t be as thorough as a professional inspection, but depending on your needs it could be a great solution for you, especially if you are on a budget or a long way from your nearest pestie.

Please note that D.I.Y inspections should be used as a suppliment to an annual inspection from your local professional.

Click here for more information.

How to find a good termite inspector.

Firstly, you pretty much get what you pay for.

It’s your home… so don’t think cheap.  And beware, a licence and insurance doesn’t mean the person checking your home will do a good job.  Regular exposures on ‘current affairs’ programs proves this point time and time again.

Termite entry is usually below ground and very difficult to detect.  Early termite activity with-in the walls of the home is also very hard to detect.  If termites are in your home, a suitably qualified and experienced pest controller will detect them most of the time.

However, there are times when the most thorough termite investigation may not reveal termite activity.  And that is scary… because your home may appear free of termites, even have a clear report and still actually have termites.  It’s just another reason why we constantly bang the drum… Prevention is better than cure.

Additional Building Inspections

We are not builders and we don’t offer building reports, just as a doctor doesn’t do dentistry.  You would be very wise to seek a specialist building inspector to evaluate the building structurally.

We offer you this tip.

Do not use any company that sends just one man to do both pest and building inspections.  Logically, you wont find an experienced builder who has many years of pest control experience, or visa versa.  As responsible pest controllers, we do not offer structural advice.