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Evidence of damage can be anything from timber gone and the paint remaining. It can also be half eaten timber lying in the garden and it can be a fence paling partially eaten. It can also be a mud track up the outside of a piece of timber.

The mud tracks are what they use to conduct themselves in to get from one area to another. They cannot expose themselves to light. They must make a mud tunnel to travel in. On one occasion this inspector saw a mud tunnel that went from a kitchen bench through the air to the ceiling.

Outside on your brickwork, the weep holes in your walls must be above your garden. So must the metal stirrups that support your external works like pergolas and such. Then if there is a termite attack you will see the mud tunnels they built from the ground to the timber up on the brick wall or the metal stirrup. The solution is to simply break away the tunnel and the termites will vanish back down. But you will now know, if they are in your wall or not. This is why having inspections is important. It is then up to the inspector to work out the extent and the treatment.

Termite Inspections

Inspections should be carried out are regular but intelligent intervals. If you see a mud tunnel from the ground to your wall you know that there are termites somewhere nearby. They may be in a neighbour’s property or your one. If you cannot find the colony you should increase the number of inspections and make them more regular. You should also learn about them yourself.

Termite inspections cannot guarantee that you will not have termites. For more information read the conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the Timber Pest Report.