Termite damage can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs and significantly lower the value of your property. Savvy home buyers and property investors know that it’s extremely important to identify the presence of termites before it is too late. To help you with this, we have provided you with a brief list of the 7 most common places of timber pest activity.
1. Wood outside your home
If you have any stacks of firewood near your home or large tree-lined areas then you have an increased risk of timber pests. Termites and other pests usually infest areas outside your property before they make their way inside. If you have firewood near your property then you should make sure it isn’t touching the house and tree-lined areas should always be treated for termites.
2. Soil near the wood of your home
Many property managers and home buyers don’t realise that the soil near the property can be a problem area. Termites create tunnels to travel within the soil and this can give them access to the timber in your property.
3. Walls
Termites can use their mud-shelter tubes to travel all over your property, including the walls. Look for large accumulations of mud stuck to the walls—especially in your basement.
4. Standing water
Leaky plumbing can leave large areas of standing water on your property and termites thrive in humid locations like this. Keep in mind that standing water that is both inside and outside of your property can be quite attractive to timber pests.
5. Exposed wood
Another common target for timber pests is exposed wood. The most prevalent places for this type of wood will usually be in the attic and basement. Exposed wood is much easier for timber pests to access so it must be carefully monitored for any signs of activity.
6. Cracks in your foundation
This is another area that will give timber pests easy access to your property. Cracks in the foundation should always be repaired as soon as possible, to prevent infestation.
7. Near chimneys
Termites and other timber pests like to stay warm in the winter and this can lead them to settle in near your chimney.
If you identify and treat timber pest activity early enough then you can prevent costly repairs in the future. Pink Inspection Services has been in the pest inspection business for over 20 years and our high comprehensive and detailed Visual Timber Pest Inspection Reports are simply unbeatable!
If you’re a property manager or home buyer in the Sydney area and would like to learn more about our Pest Inspection services, please contact us today!