What are conducive termite conditions?

Termites are well known for causing significant damage to a home and this is not covered by your home insurance.

These pests come in search of a home to establish themselves and breed in high numbers.

Conducive conditions provide these places for termites where they can quickly cause damage.

Preventing termites from accessing your home is our top priority. Minimising and removing conducive conditions is the first step in reducing the chance of termites arriving at your home.

What are conducive conditions?

Water and damp areas are one of the top attractants for termites. Outside the home, this includes the hot water system waste pipe, air conditioner overflow pipe, leaking taps, water tanks and other plumbing issues.

It’s important to ensure waste pipes are off the ground and ideally go into a drain. Fix leaking taps with new washers and have a plumber inspect any other noticeable issues around the home. Termites will climb up into these pipes and enter the home with ease.

Poor drainage around the home in the form of puddles can also attract termites. Installing a good quality drainage system around the home is critical in stopping this.

Gardens and landscaping close to the home building can also provide perfect conditions for termites to live and breed. Moisture from watering the garden and rain provides the right conditions for termites here. It’s best to separate the garden from the actual house walls so they can’t gain entry that way.

Air conditioning condensate, Water released alongside or near building walls needs to be connected to a drain as the resulting wet area is highly conducive to termites, If this is not possible the water needs to be piped several meters away from the building.

Tree stumps within 50 metres of the structure present a termite risk. It is very difficult, and generally impossible to locate termite nests since they
are mainly underground and evidence in tree stumps is often well concealed. We therefore strongly recommend that you arrange to have stumps test drilled for evidence of termite nests and then removed.

Water leaks, especially in or into the subfloor or Moisture in the ground against the external walls, increase the likelihood of termite attack. Leaking showers or leaks from other ‘wet areas’ also increase the likelihood of concealed termite attack. Water against the external walls increases the likelihood of termite attack

High moisture readings can be caused by any one of the following: poor ventilation, ineffective drainage, leaking pipes, leaking roofs, defective flashing or by concealed termite activity. The areas of high moisture should be investigated by way of an invasive inspection. High moisture levels also increase the likelihood of termite attack.

How to detect termite damage

The best way to detect the presence of termites is to arrange a professional and qualified termite inspection, not a termite check. This is an Australian Standard and should be completed annually. As mentioned, home insurance does not cover damage caused by termites and pests and the expense to repair can be tens of thousands.

Our team are qualified and licensed to perform termite inspections for homes and commercial premises. The inspection will take two hours plus to complete. Once complete, we will provide you with a written report on what we have found or have not found and solutions to protect your home moving forward such as a barrier. This is the best peace of mind you can have.