Termite trouble

By Kath Gannaway
“The door just came off the hinge and out flew all these termites,” said Ms Rhodes as she directed pest controllers Michael Higgs and son, Matthew, towards a monstrous termite mound at the bottom of her Leila Road garden last week.
With at least two neighbouring houses confirmed for termite infestation, Ms Rhodes wanted to alert other Warburton residents to a problem, which has the potential to literally eat them out of house and home.
The three-foot high mound straddling the dividing paling fence was on the property when she purchased it four years ago.
A dead tree stump against the fence had provided an ideal starting point for the nest.
“We had a pest inspection done before we bought it and were told the nest was dormant,” Ms Rhodes said.
As the men hacked into the clay tower there was no doubt the nest was more a thriving termite metropolis.
Thousands of the insects, ready for their early summer release in search of new nesting opportunities, responded frantically to the early wake-up call.
Mr Higgs said subterranean nests are rare in areas like Warburton, but termites are not, with the entire Shire of Yarra Ranges designated as a termite infestation area.
“This type is Coptotermes frenchi and they’re everywhere around this area,” he said.
“They’re dangerous and aggressive. They breed quickly and can do a devastating amount of damage very quickly.”
He said Warburton’s damp, hilly, treed disposition provided ideal conditions.
“Termite problems in these areas are pretty much related to water-log problems, or in the case of these properties it’s where you have houses built into the side of the hill and have water running down.
“They look for wet timber so if a house is dry and well-ventilated it’s very much less likely it will be affected,” he said.
Ms Rhodes said she considers herself fortunate that she has limited damage to her house – just the door frame in the bedroom and the floor in another room.
Faced with bills, which will nonetheless amount to several thousand dollars, she said she had become painfully aware of how little she knew about termites and their potential for disaster.
She said in some states it is compulsory to have a termite inspection done prior to selling a house.
“When you look at the damage they can do, I believe it should be compulsory here too.” The Shire of Yarra Ranges website has a comprehensive guide to termites, which includes measures to discourage termites. It recommends regular inspections for homeowners and warns that early spring to late summer are periods of high termite activity.
Visit www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au and go to ‘T’ in the A-Z directory.