A Termite Inspection – What Does It Cover?

1 in every 5 Sydney homes is currently experiencing some form of termite infestation. These tiny creatures, with a voracious appetite for cellulose in wood, can cause some serious property damage. Hence, it is often advised that a thorough termite inspection should be carried out at least once in a year. A termite inspection usually includes…

Step 1: Visual Inspection

To determine that your suspicions are correct, pest control technicians first conduct a visual termite inspection. During this process they look for outward signs of infestation such as swarmers, mud tubes, wood decomposition, etc. Once it has been confirmed that what you spotted are actually termites, exterminators move to the next step for a more in-depth inspection.

Step 2: Bringing in the Specialists

These days, to avoid property damage, pest control technicians use special termite detection equipment to determine the scope of infestation. This equipment is highly efficient and minimally invasive, and includes:

• Borescope: This is a fiber optic device that can be used to see inside the wall void. It comes with a flexible tube with an eyepiece, and can be inserted into your walls through a tiny hole to see what’s inside.
• Thermal Imaging Camera: This equipment forms images using infrared radiations. It is used to locate termite activity concealed behind wall linings, without taking out large chunks of your wall cladding.

Step 3: Invasive Inspection

This step comes into play only when there’s danger of extensive termite infestation. Usually exterminators can make out the extent of damage within the first 2 steps. But in case of major infestations, they have to take up a more invasive approach. During this process exterminators are required to actually open up/take out parts of your walls and floors, to see exactly how far the infestation has spread. This is only as a last resort, and is seldom needed.

Step 4: External Inspection

To determine entry points, pest control technicians also take into account the areas outside the house such as adjacent gardens, timber fences, trees close to the house, outhouses, etc.