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Hello, I'm Yvette Mooney and I'd like to give you some valuable information about how to protect your home from termite invasion
through the practice of surveillance and inspection.
The practice is strongly recommended in the Australian standards and we'd like to bring it to your attention.
You have made the decision to install a termi-mesh barrier, but you should remain on your guard
as termites may try to find other ways to penetrate your home.
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When a nest of termites decides to scout for food around your home, they can advance at great speed by the millions.
This underground movement is silent and generally inconspicuous.
The devastation and damage left behind in their wake can result in repair bills of thousands of dollars.
If you have a termi-mesh perimeter barrier installed in your home, you have one of the world's most effective,
reliable and enduring methods of preventing entry of termites.
But it's important to understand that barriers, whether chemical or physical, do not kill,
but force the termites out into the open where they can be detected and dealt with.
That's why you need to consider termite surveillance and inspection.
You do the surveillance, professionals do the inspection.
Music
The key message we want to get across is to warn you that termites can build bridges.
Well, not exactly. In termite talk, it's called bridging.
Bridging is when termites can bypass or go around a termite barrier, both physical and chemical ones.
In their search for food, termites will encounter the barrier that prevents them from going through, but they won't stop there.
They will change direction many times and work their way to the outside perimeter of the building
in an attempt to find ways around the barrier. They will be looking for bridges or bypasses.
Structures or objects which are put up against the outside wall can jeopardise the effectiveness of the barrier
by providing termites with a bridge into your home.
You need to find these bridges first and remove them.
Remember, termites will target any material containing their favourite substance, cellulose.
This can be found in structural and secondary timbers, cupboards, wall cladding, paper-laminated plasterboard, carpet, stationary,
photographs, cardboard, paper, certain cabling and many other items.
It's important that you protect your most valuable asset, your home.
Here are some tips on how you and your family can detect termite activity and prevent damage to your property before it's too late.
Locate the termite barrier. If it's a termimesh barrier, it is generally positioned at floor level, extending across the wall cavity.
A small tag may identify it. Installations may not be exactly the same in every house nor in every state,
but basically there are two main areas that are protected.
First, the plumbing and service penetrations or entry points and then the perimeter wall cavity.
If you have difficulty finding the termite barrier level in the perimeter wall cavity,
contact your termimesh service centre who will, for a small service charge,
locate the barrier for you and help you to get started on your way to termite surveillance.
Walk around your home looking for evidence of termite activity.
Look for bridges and detours that will permit termites to bypass the barrier.
Termites don't roam like ants. They build tube-like tunnels through which they travel.
Usually the tubes are brownish in colour. It's unlikely you will see a nest, except perhaps in a tree.
If termites are nearby and in need of food, they can appear within weeks of moving into new premises, so check regularly.
Think of the barrier as a clearway zone. Keep the area clear so you can keep it under surveillance.
Remove materials that will attract termites or obscure their activity.
This clearway zone should cover the perimeter of your home and be maintained at all times.
Make sure there are no bridges in this zone which will assist the entry of termites.
Check carefully behind fixtures. Pay special attention to garden beds and pathways.
Keep these areas under surveillance.
Unprotected brick piers provide a concealed thoroughfare for termite tubes.
Termites are attracted to dampness, so stop garden taps from dripping and direct overflow water from heaters and downpipes away from the house.
Pagolas can become a direct route for termites right to your rooftop.
Extensions can also become a bridge for termites.
Look behind hot water units, downpipes, garden sheds and other objects that cannot be set some distance from the wall.
Check the inside walls of your garage or carport to ensure that boxes, cupboards, benches and shelving don't provide termite hiding places.
Inside your home, keep the wet areas under surveillance also.
These include laundry, bathroom and kitchen cupboards, baths and spas.
You may even cut an inspection vent into the base of cabinets.
If your house is on piers or poles, avoid storing termite food under the floor and keep the space well drained and ventilated.
If you find active termites, don't disturb them or break the tubes.
Don't spray with insecticide. Immediately contact your termi-mesh service centre.
Surveillance of your clearway zones and bypass risk areas is something you can do every time you walk past.
Make a habit of a weekly stroll through your garden with your eyes peeled.
The Australian Standards, your builder and the Termi-Mesh company strongly recommend that you arrange for a professional inspection both outside and inside your home
at least annually if you live south of the Tropic of Capricorn and twice annually if you live north.
Should you sell your home, please make sure the new owner is given this video or request another from your termi-mesh dealer.
It's unlikely your termi-mesh barrier will ever let you down because unlike chemical treatment, it's there for life.
But like all barriers, you still need to keep it under surveillance.
Termi-Mesh and your builder wish you many happy and trouble-free years in your new home
and trust that this video will go some way toward that goal.
If you would like assistance in selecting a competent inspector, contact your Termi-Mesh supplier on this toll-free number.
Thank you.