Hi guys had a building and pest inspection done, and was told my weatherboard house is susceptible to termites. Is it really worth paying up to 2k for termite chemical prevention that is meant to last 8 years... For each property adds up..
It depends, all pest people are likely to say you should have it done ASAP.... Here is why I think it depends.......and keep in mind I think every pest guy has said treatment is recommended......... One dwelling from 80's constructed with Cyprus pine......is in a high activity area, but they do not like that timber. Others that have been around for many years, inspections may be much cheaper Many raised houses have various stumps and walls that are highly visible, you can look yourself for activity & if they are 40, 50, 70 years old and not been touched, maybe they are not high risk (until one of your neighbors disturbs them and they move to you) Keep things away from the dwelling, especially loose timber, and fix leaking taps, I personally think an old stump or timber that they get into in the back yard is better than the house. Some places that are newer may have physical barriers that do not degrade. So, it really does depend. Many are venerable if active in the area, I tend to think if people see a treatment or evidence of it if drilling in concrete etc, they may think it had a problem that never existed.
Depends what you plan on doing with the property. If your keeping long term $250 a year is not bad for long term protection.
Yeah it's probably 30-40 years old but structurally sound. There was some old termite activity in timber in the garden which caught my attention. Guess it's better safe then sorry. Got a quote for $1600 which is reasonable. Yeah plan on keeping the house long term so can't hurt I suppose
Being a maintenance cost, it's tax deductible and I would hate for the next buyer to chase down the price because the next building inspection found termite damage.
Thanks for the posts. I also had some termite activity in the garden. What do they do for the $1600? I'm not familiar with termite treatments
Pretty much create an underground chemical barrier around the outskirts of the house, that is meant to last 8-10 years
I have been recently told that the chemical barrier method is not the best one and kills lots of other critters too. I have termites in my back fence and they're being baited now. It's also costing 1.5K + gst. Once the colony is gone, I won't do anything else with chemicals or baits unless they return. This is what I've learnt recently: like @dabbler mentioned above, they tend not to eat cypress if they have a choice. Does your house have a cypress frame/ floorboards? remove gardens and mulch etc up against the house - no sleepers, etc make sure you have good drainage everywhere - get rid surface water, run-off and down-pipe water issues remove any trees where they might have had a feast (inspector will show you which ones). It will help eliminate old pathways get an annual inspection. I also learned that not all termites eat your house. However, the ones that do really go for it. The ones that eat usually are the 2nd lot to go in, not the first. So an annual inspection would catch them.
Interesting you say that chemical barriers don't work. I've been told the exact opposite: that baits don't do anything but chemical barriers do. I've heard that it's a temporary distraction for the termites before they turn on your house, kinda like an entree before the main.
I thought it was said that chemicals work too well and kill other stuff too that was not the intention. There is different chemical barriers too.
