White Ant Inspection?
What is a White Ant Inspection and Who Needs One?
“Knowing what a White Ant Inspection is, is a very valuable asset. Ring us up for more information or to schedule an appointment. Myself and the other pest control experts at A1 Pest Control are keen to get your property pest free!” – Bruce Gow
Have you been told you need to arrange a white ant inspection but aren’t sure what it is? Perhaps you’ve heard of it by another name – they’re also called termite inspection, and sometimes, timber pest inspections. People get a little confused sometimes when it comes to termite terminology!
Termites are commonly called ‘white ants’ in Australia but this is based purely on their appearance – they look like creamy coloured ants. Of course, they’re much more of a hindrance than ants at a picnic – white ants can make a picnic of your home in a relatively short time frame, which is why scheduling inspections to detect these pests once or twice a year is a sensible thing to do.
The white ants responsible for much of the damage caused to Australian homes are in fact subterranean termites.
A white ant inspection conducted by a professional will involve an extensive inspection of all accessible areas of your home – including the roof void, sub floor, interior of cupboards, stumps, and even your garden area.
Up to date termite experts will have access to the latest termite detecting technology like thermal imaging cameras and termite radars. These items can help determine the presence of termites during a home inspection even when there is no visible evidence of their presence – which is quite often because subterranean termites work on the interior of the wood, leaving the outside unchanged visually.
Of course, your termite expert may see some evidence of their presence while inspecting your property – white ants travel via intricate mud tunnels they construct from wood and saliva and there is often evidence of moisture when termites are present.
These tiny wood eating insects dwell in subterranean colonies and there are many of these across Sydney. Colonies are sometimes in the ground, and occasionally found in old stumps or even inside the trunks of living trees.
They’re quite hard to spot because termites like to stay out of view, which is why it’s important to have an expert inspect for termites rather than attempt to monitor the situation yourself.
In suburban areas white ants can be a huge problem as they forage for food in a radius of about 100 metres around their colony – often finding a source in nearby homes.
Who Should Get a White Ant Inspection?
Every Sydney home owner should consider arranging these inspections once or twice a year, depending on the risk level in your suburb. Because termite damage isn’t covered by insurance, and termites are a risk in most suburbs, the $250 for a visual inspection or $550 for a thermal inspection is great peace of mind.
The money you spend monitoring for the presence of these pests can be considered as a small investment that could save you from costly termite damage repairs.
Home buyers should also arrange a pre-purchase termite inspection before committing to a purchase, to cover the possibility that the home they’re looking at has termites or extensive termite damage – if you inadvertently purchase a termite damaged home, the repair bill will be all yours.
For more information about termites, or termite treatments, or to arrange a white ant inspection in the Sydney suburbs you can call termite expert Bruce Gow on 0417 251 911.
