This edition, we see termites underneath carpets and hiding in plain sight in the garden!
Subfloors, roof voids, bathrooms, fencing and trees are all the usual suspects when it comes to spotting termite activity, but when you’ve been in the termite business for a while, the chances are you will have encountered activity in some less obvious locations. Here is a selection from our readers – something to bear in mind when you are inspecting properties.
Sweep the problem under the carpet
In all inspections, it’s a good idea to pull up the corner of carpets to see if there is any activity. However, for Neil Raw from Innovative Pest Control in SA, finding termites happily eating the back of a rug was a first.
“An older lady living by herself, went into her games room, which she no longer used. Whilst vacuuming the carpet, she wondered why it wasn’t looking great? The termites were coming up through the pine floorboards and actually eating the back of the rug.”
Termites lounging around outside
As we all should know, any timber in direct contact with the ground is potentially food source for termites. Up in the top end, you really can’t leave potential food items lying around for any length of time, as Andrew Critchley from Instinct Pest Management is quickly learning (having just made the move to Darwin).
“Being wet season the furniture hadn’t been used in a while and the termites had come up between the pavers and straight into the garden furniture. There were multiple Heterotermes and Microcerotermes nests in the garden – not uncommon for up here! A localised treatment to the furniture and nests was carried out.”
