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Sunnystate

Sunnystate Pest Control Brisbane, Queensland

Invasive Termite Inspection

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Invasive Termite Inspection: What is it & When Do You Need It?

 

Whether you’ve found termites or termite damage or we find them during a Pest Inspection, we may recommend an additional Invasive Inspection.

But what is an Invasive Inspection, how does it work, and why should you do it? Keep reading to discover questions to all of your answers.

And most importantly, discover the things you should know before ordering an Invasive Inspection.

Let’s begin!

What is an Invasive Termite Inspection?

An invasive termite inspection is when an area needs to be drilled or removed panels, etc., to get to the infected area.

For example, if termite activity is suspected in a wall cavity, we might recommend drilling into the wall.

The whole purpose of doing an invasive termite inspection is to locate possible termite nests and workings before they cause any significant damage to your house.

“But how do you suspect a termite activity in the wall?” – you may ask. We use professional tools that determine where exactly the termites are. This way, we make sure to make drills or cuts only when and where it’s necessary.

If done correctly, the invasive inspection will cause minimal damage to surfaces. Once the inspection is done, minor repairs will easily cover the damage made by the invasive inspection.

What’s Involved in the Invasive Termite Inspection?

The typical invasive inspection involves drilling holes or moving items into areas to gain access and check for termites and determine the extent of the damage.

There are a few techniques involved in invasive termite inspection, such as:

  • Using a borer scope to determine the termite mudding. The borer scope is an equipment with an optical lens arrangement or a camera and cable arrangement on a long flexible cable or tube. This equipment is used to look inside the cavity that has the ability for a hole to be created that will fit the lens through. The size of the hole a borer scope needs is usually 14 mm.
  • Removing the trimming timbers, skirting boards, door frames, chairs, picture rails, and architraves to reveal the extent of termite activity or mudding.
  • Cutting of gyprock to reveal termite workings and damage where it’s required.

When Do You Need the Invasive Termite Inspection?

Invasive Termite Inspection is often required when there’s a significant risk of live termites or damage being present concealed in an inaccessible area. Examples of inaccessible areas include:

  • Subfloors
  • Walls
  • Roof voids
  • The wall on a boundary
  • Inside a tree stump
  • Under carpet
  • Behind a pile of stored goods

In case you’re in the process of purchasing a property, and we recommend an Invasive Inspection, you’ll need to get the written permission from the seller. We require this because we’ll need to do things like cutting holes or moving stored items, none of which could be done without having a homeowner’s permission.

Basically, the invasive termite inspection will give more certainty of any necessary treatment and repair work. It will also give you an idea of the estimated costs of eliminating the termites from your house.

Things You Should You Know Before Ordering an Invasive Termite Inspection

An invasive termite inspection isn’t something you should take lightly. It’s an important issue that needs to be solved by professionals.

Most importantly, it’s crucial not to damage the termite workings too much during the process. The workings are needed to insert poison into because it will bring the whole colony under control.

Damaged or no workings make it very difficult to guarantee the entire colony has been eliminated. This means that the area will still be at risk of reinfestation.

And to find termite activity in inaccessible areas, a professional termite inspector should use tools like:

  • Thermal imaging camera
  • Termatrac T3i movement detection device
  • Sound detection device
  • Borescope
  • And more

Only by using professional tools like these can an inspector detect where the termite colony is located and make drills at the right place. Plus, since these tools help locate the termites, the inspector will only make necessary drills and cuts that you can easily fix afterward.

Most importantly, the professional termite inspector will know how to avoid hitting the water pipes or electricity cables while drilling the holes into your walls.

Conclusion

Termites can seriously damage your property. Especially when they’re colonized in inaccessible areas, people usually don’t even suspect there are any termites dining off their walls and floors.

For example, with some termites damaging electricity cables, there’s a risk of getting an unexpected fire.

That’s why it’s always important to use a fully licensed pest control company to carry out inspections and ask for a full report.

The report will explain what the inspection found and highlight any problem areas of the building.

Finally, read your report, listen to your termite technician, and carry out any maintenance work that they recommend.

CALL 0422 334 204

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Jason Neale Owner of Sunnystate Pest Control customer advice about Covid 19

About author

Jason Neale is the owner of Sunnystate we are a professional Pest Control and Termite company servicing customers throughout Brisbane – Ipswich – Gold Coast and have been in the industry for over 20 years and is also a keen blogger.