I have termites in a tree stump outside, can they come into my house?

Yes, they can. Termites often nest in tree roots and old stumps in gardens beds, and from these nest they seek out cellulose material, which is in timber. They travel from the nest directly to any timber in a house and often gain undetected access to the house. Houses built on concrete slabs are often more vulnerable due to the fact that termites gain complete undetected access through small cracks under the slab, or travel up the plumbing pipes within the footprint of the house. While building inspections check the perimeter of the house for any termites entering, they cannot visually check the inside walls for termite entry. A technique of sounding is performed during house inspections by knocking the timber of a house in order to establish a solid form. Radar devices and sometimes even dogs are utilised during house inspections in Melbourne in order to identify termite activity. It is vital that any conditions that are conductive to termite attack are removed. Conditions like timber littered underneath a house and old stumps and railway sleepers lying in gardens beds. Remember that these conditions will encourage termites, and once they are in the garden they will be sensing the timber elements of the house without doubt.

At Melbourne House Check we conduct building and pest inspections in Melbourne. We utilise state of the art termite detection equipment during our building inspections and offer a thorough detailed termite inspections. To contact us visit our website or call us on 1300 729 352.

You can view our Google+ post on this matter also.