Find termites in your home or garden can be a terrifying experience, and there are hundreds of horror stories of people who didn’t find the infestation until it was too late and the home was too structurally damaged to be saved with massive repair bills involved. Prevention is always better than cure and a preventive baiting system such as the Exterra system can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Especially at this time of year in South East Queensland it’s hot, wet and the perfect time for termites to make their move. With over 80% of homes in the region estimated to have termites in their backyards chances are when you’re out gardening or tidying up the yard you might find some active termites, BUT DON’T PANIC!

Termite infestations are often discovered by accident, and it is of vital importance that you act quickly to ensure you prevent any further damage from occurring. If you notice any of the signs of termite activity such as mud tubes, or bubbling paint or if you are outdoors and physically see the termite nest or ants that appear white in colour there are a few simple things you can do to minimise the risk of spread.

DO NOT SPRAY THEM! Your first instinct will be to spray the termites with a surface spray or insect spray, this will make a termite eradication specialist’s job much more difficult. All effective termite eradication methods work by finding live termites and tricking them to bringing poison back to their nest, killing the whole network of termites in one go. Termites are smart and when they detect a fast acting poison such as a bug spray they will never return to that area and plan another method of attack on your home.

DO NOT DISTURB THEM! You may have found them while digging in the garden, or maybe you have found there mud tubes in or around your home, and you will be tempted to clean up the mess. But it is of vital importance that you don’t, when termites feel threatened by thing such as part of the nest system being disturbed they block off all access to the next and go into hiding. This will prevent and delay the effective treatment of the termites and end up costing you more money in the long run.

BUT I HAVE ALREADY DISTURBED THEM! Keep calm and don’t panic, this is a common way that termites are discovered is when you accidentally disturb them. Make sure you don’t disturb them any further make sure everyone in your household knows not to go near them or touch them (including your pets). There are still a number of effective termite eradication methods available if you have already disturbed the termites, just make sure you call a qualified termite control company to assess the situation and implement the most effective eradication methods for your situation.

Finding termites in your property doesn’t need to be a panic situation, by remaining calm and calling a qualified termite specialist as quickly as possible, you substantially reduce the risk of termite long term damage to your home.