Termite Inspection in Yarragon South
Termites and Fungi in the Flooring
A gentleman in Yarragon South noticed that part of his floor moved when he stood on it, fearing the worst he contacted Dawson’s Australia to have a termite inspection carried out at his property immediately.
Our termite specialist carried out a visual termite inspection in accordance with Australian Standard AS 3660.2, using some of the latest equipment in detecting termites, however as soon as he was under the house, in the subfloor, it wasn’t hard to spot this quite large termite lead (mound) and the 2 smaller leads going up the wall and over the strip footing, right into the flooring.
Right next to the termite leads there was fungi growing. Both fungi and termites love dark, damp areas to live and grow, so finding both in the same location was not a surprise. Some termites even grow their own fungi that they use to aid in the breakdown of the wood for easier consumption.
Fungi and Fungi spores can also have detrimental health effects on the occupants of a home, especially with respiratory issues.
The good news was that the damage to the floor was minimal, the bad news was that there was damage to the floor that needed to be fixed.
Dawson’s Australia treated both the termites and fungi, and the owner has done as our termite specialist recommended – removed all loose timbers from under the house and put in better ventilation.
Prevention is always better than treatment. If the homeowner had a preventative termite treatment in place the likelihood of termites invading his Yarragon South home would be little to none, he wouldn’t have needed to replace the floor and that means more money in his savings account.
NOTE: Termite leads are the tunnels termites create so they can move from the main nest, sub-nest and food source safely and in a temperature-controlled environment. The termite leads come up from the ground, normally in a dark and damp area like a subfloor or along a tree base, this is the first sign that you have termites! Whatever you do, DO NOT destroy the termite leads, this will leave termites stranded in your home and the rest of the leads will be abandon and fresh leads created leading either back to your home or your neighbours.
