Termites Discovered in Residential Home at Forest Lake All Thanks To Pet Cat

Pest-Ex was called in to investigate a possible termite infestation and perform treatment on the property. Susan told us that her cat had fallen through a window frame which sounded funny, so we really had no idea what to expect.

Needless to say, it certainly was an interesting job.

Details of Job

Customer name – Susan

Suburb – Forest Lake Brisbane

Property Type – Residential home

Property Description – Slab home, approximately 25 years old. External carport.

Reason behind call – Susan called with concerns that her home may be infested with a live termite colony. She believes that part of the home has already been damaged by termites.

Initial assessment – It became immediately apparent that Susan’s concerns were right. One of our trained termite technicians inspected the property where Susan claimed she had found live termites, and it was obvious that she had a very serious problem.

Subterranean termites were found in the skirting boards and window frames within the main bedroom, living area,laundry and dining room. Susan only became aware of this due to her cat falling through the timber window frame, as the termites had literally eaten everything away, leaving a thin layer of paint behind.

Possible reason for infestation – Forest Lake is well known for termite infestations, however in this particular case, we discovered that the hot water system overflow pipe was dumping water right beneath the area of what appeared to be the original entry point of infestation.

Termites are attracted to moisture, and this may be why termites were found in this area of the property. We also noticed untreated timbers had been used within the garden beds as well as retaining walls that were also affected. Again, When termites source moisture they come looking for it! In this case they entered the home.

How we fixed the problem – We recommended that Susan leave the home for a few hours while we began treatment. We ensured that she took her cat with her to prevent any issues. We firstly treated the affected areas using Termidor dust followed by a complete termidor termite barrier dust and foam was used on the areas of live activity.

We successfully identified more termites in other areas of the home, and were able to successfully treat and remove those too.

Invasive inspection also revealed active termites in wall cavity’s also treated during stage 1 of the treatment 

Areas of property treated – We treated the active termites found during the inspection, then followed up 21 days after to confirm that the termite treatment had been successful, As this home was still susceptible to further termite damage we installed a termite barrier using termidor.

Considerations – As Susan had cats, we were sure to use termidor which isn’t hazardous to animals or children, but it is very effective in the elimination and prevention of termites.

Preventative recommendations – We pointed out to Susan that the termite damage had to be completely assessed by a builder, and repairs using treated timbers, and also the timber used within the garden beds had to be removed. We also instructed Susan enlist the assistance of a qualified plumber to connect a drainage pipe in a way that led water away from the side of the home, and out into the yard.

Customer feedback – Here’s what Susan had to say “I called Pest-Ex on Tuesday night and they arrived the very next morning. The team at Pest-Ex, were not only prompt, but very professional and polite. They explained everything to me in easy to understand terms, including what had to be done, why and how. My house is now termite free and my cats are happy!”

Cost – This particular inspection & stage 1 treatment cost $900

Duration – Treatment was performed over a period of 4 hours for initial inspection and treatment & 1 full day 9 hours) using 2 technicians for the external termite barrier.

Summary – Forest Lake is a lovely suburb but it is well known for Termites. If you’re a home owner here and haven’t had a termite inspection in 12 months or more give us a call. if your looking to buy or sell in the Forest Lake area, be sure to have an extensive building and pest inspection carried out before you sign the dotted line. Of course, our team at Pest-Ex can help you with this.

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