If you’ve booked a pest controller to come and inspect your property for termites, there are a few simple steps you can take to make it as thorough as possible.
- Think about all the timber in and around your home to make sure the pest controller has access to as much of it as possible. If, for instance, your home has timber trusses in the roof, make sure there is no furniture under the openings in the ceiling that the pest controller will need to climb up a ladder to gain access.
- Pull furniture away from skirting boards and walls so the pest controller can check along them.
- Empty any cupboards under the kitchen sink or bathroom basin so the pest controller can make sure there are no leaks causing moisture that will attract termites.
- It’s possible to crawl in under the floor of some homes, sometimes through a trapdoor in the floor. If you do have such an access point, make sure it’s unlocked and there’s nothing obstructing it.
- You may need to cut back shrubbery if it is growing so close and densely that it’s not possible to walk along all the outside walls.
- If you have spotted any possible signs of termite activity such as mud tubes or mounded mud up against walls, leave them undisturbed for the pest controller to inspect.
Termite inspections need to be thorough, so they are not quick. Even if activity is immediately discovered, the pest controller needs to go on checking to make sure it is not widespread. You can generally expect the whole process to take at least an hour and a half.
