Pest Inspection

Pest Inspection Sydney service in Adelaide encompasses hunting down the vicious species that live in underground nests sheltering millions of Termites. The trouble is when a nest comes to fruition near your residence. It ends up giving them a home and food source for the termites. The gallery system of a sole colony may utilize food sources, galleries extending to 50 meters to enter your house, where there is timber to feed on. Not even solid slabs can operate as a blockade; they will break through the cracks in the slab and gain entry into your house.

They construct mud tubes (Mudding) to achieve admission to ground timber. In several cases, termites have created their nest in the cavity of the walls of the home without even making soil contact. In these cases it may be impossible to verify their existence until extensive wood damage happens.

Termite damage

Pest Inspection Perth has noticed many cases where we have seen when termite comes in contact with the wood; they dig it frequently which leaves only a thin veneer on the exterior. If they are left undisturbed then the destructive species can become the cause of countless thousands of dollars damage and cost two to five thousand dollars (or more) to begin the repair process.

Subterranean termite ecology

Pest Inspection Melbourne has always noticed the behavior of termites which are a tight knit collective insect colony and they can be found living in underground nests. These nests may be in trees or in unusual occurrences they can also be found in above ground areas within the home. They dig into underground to enter the residence and stay put within the framing timbers which makes it hard to locate them. Where timbers are hidden, as in most modern homes, it makes it even more difficult to locate their existence. Particularly if gardens have been developed around the home and termite barriers are either not in place or poorly maintained. Termites form nests in all sorts of locations and they are usually not detectable. There is a possibility of more than one nest in the home. The diet of termites consists of a range of hardwood and softwood species growing throughout Australia and these are the same timbers that are used in developing buildings. Worker termites move out from their underground lair into adjacent areas where they can find food and come back to care for the other casts of termites inside the nest. Termites are particularly susceptible to temperature, humidity and light which restricts their motion on the ground like most insects. They journey in mud covered tunnels to their source of food. Uncovering termites is usually done by locating such mud tunnels rising from the ground into the affected structure which takes an eye of an expert. Termite barriers defend a building by making termites to show their presence. Termites can construct mud tunnels in the region of termite barriers to arrive at the timber above. When the termite tracks or leads are found then it does not necessarily mean that termites have entered the timber though. A clear view of walls and piers and easy access to the sub-floor means that detection should be fairly easy. However many styles of construction do not lend themselves to ready detection of termites. The design of some properties is such that they make the detection by a pest inspector difficult, if not impossible. The tapping and probing of walls and internal timbers is an adjunct or additional means of detection of termites but is not as reliable as locating tracks. The use of a dampness meter is a useful aid for determining the location of termites which are generally concealed behind thin wall panels, but it only detects high levels of movement. Older damage that has dried out will not be recorded and it can also give off false readings. Termite tracks may be present in the ceiling space however some roofs of a low pitch and with the presence of sisalation, insulation, air conditioning ductwork and hot water services may prevent a full inspection of the timbers in these areas. Therefore since foolproof and absolute certain discovery is impossible even after the use of protective barriers which is why regular inspections are an essential step in caring for timbers from termite attack.

Borers of seasoned timbers

Wood Borers are the larvae of various species of beetles and the fully grown adult beetles lay their eggs within the timber. The eggs hatch out into larvae (grubs) which bore through the timber and can cause major structural damage. The larvae may reside totally concealed within the timber for many years before passing into an inactive pupae stage. Within the pupae case they metamorphose (change) into the adult beetle which cuts a hole in the outer surface of the timber to appear, mate and lay further eggs to continue the cycle. It is only through the presence of these emergence holes, and the frass develop when the beetles cut the exit holes that their presence can be detected. Where floors are covered by carpets, tiling, or other floor coverings and where no access to the under floor area is available it is not likely to establish whether borers are present or not. This is predominantly the case with the upper floors of a dwelling. Borers of ‘green’ unseasoned timber may also be present. However these species will naturally die out as the timbers dry out in service. Whilst some emergence holes may happen in a new home, it would be unusual for such a borer to cause structural damage, though the exit holes may be unsightly.

Anobium borer (furniture beetle) and queensland pine borer

Pest Inspection Sydney has observed in many occasions that these beetles are responsible for instances of flooring crumple which often begins with a heavy object being placed on the floor (or even a person stepping on the damaged area!) Pine timbers are favored by this beetle and, while the sapwood is preferred, the heartwood is also sometimes attacked. Attack by this beetle is usually observed in timbers that have been in service for 10-20 years or more and mostly involves flooring and timber wall panelling. The frass from the flight holes (faeces and chewed wood) is fine and gritty. Wood attacked by these borers is often honeycombed.

Lyctus borer (powder post beetle)

Pest Inspection Brisbane observed that these borers only attack the sapwood of certain vulnerable species of hardwood timber. Since it is a necessity that structural timbers contain no more than 25% Lyctus susceptible sapwood these borers are not normally associated with structural damage. Replacement of affected timbers is not recommended and treatment is not approved. Where ornamental timbers are affected the emergence holes may be considered unsightly in which case timber replacement is the only option. Powder post beetles typically attack at some stage in the first 6-12 months of service life of timber. As only the sapwood is ruined, larger dimensional timbers (such as rafters, bearers and joists) in a house are seldom destabilized considerably to cause collapse. In small dimensional timbers (such as tiling and ceiling battens) the sapwood may be widespread, and the damage caused may result in its collapse. Replacement of these timbers is the only option available.

Timber decay fungi

The fruiting bodies of lumber rot fungi differ in size, shape and colour. The category of fungi encountered by pest controllers typically exist in in poorly ventilated subfloors, below wet areas of the home, external timbers and in areas that hold on to water in the soil. The toughness and kind of timbers along with the temperature and environment are reason. Ruin of affected timbers varies with the symptoms involved. Elimination of the dampness cause usually removes the problem. Fungal decay attracts termites and if the problem is not corrected then there is a possibility that it may cause a future termite attack.

Call Building Inspections Sydney on 1300 955 011