I just started my timber pest inspection in Drewvale  when I saw a huge termite lead coming out of the ground and up the outside of the wall, believe it or not it was the same size as my forearm (please see photo). As a termite inspector I can honestly say I have never seen a lead this size coming up the outside of a house like this.

It is said that 95% of pests or white ants are always concealed, so when a home owner has discovered termite damage it is too late.  A good practice to keep termites/white ants damage to a minimal is for home owners to regularly inspect their homes and gardens.

 For true “peace of mind” I would strongly recommend to call a professional termite/white ant inspector to do the job right. With Conquer Termites you will receive a 10 page timber pest report with recommendations and a 10 page termite treatment proposal. Our lovely customer in Drewvale did the right thing by booking in a full pest inspection then 3 days later she booked in a full termite treatment.

Please see footage of how much damage there was in her walk-in wardrobe.

After having completed an annual pest treatment on my property in Parkinson by a franchised pest control company it was bought to my attention my property had an active termite nest in front yard (little buggers decided to get stuck into some aged sleepers acting as one of my garden barriers).  I received a quotation from the pest fumigator for a no-name baiting system with an estimate ranging between $4k and $5k with no real assurances or confidence in that it would stop the spread or contain my current infestation.

Conscious of time and not wanting to leave it to chance I began some online research (trusty Google) and came across Conquer Termites and the Termidor chemical injection system.  After checking some reviews of this system I was confident enough to place a call to Nick, Conquer Termites Brisbane Southside specialist who was to happy to answer my questions and provide a free consultation at my property and assess the situation.  The next day Nick reviewed my property and provided a no BS assessment of the situation without the scare tactics (i.e. Told it how it was and didn’t use the element of fear to push a sale).  That evening my wife and I reviewed the information and called Nick to approve the Job (i.e. On site assessment was fantastic, leading quotation, useful product information on Termidor system including DVD and Nick provided me with confidence in his ability and the effectiveness of product).

Treatment begin 3 days later and included a full property inspection with heat scope and detailed report (including fumigation of current Termite hive).  The full treatment was completed the next day and regardless of some of the intricacies of my property (i.e. Water tanks, A/C unit and Decks) Nick and the Conquer Termites crew effectively completed treat and returned my property to a prior works state.

Professional service, confidence, support and guarantee of work where promised and delivered and I am happy to give Nick and Conquer Termites at 10/10 for work done.  Pity I can’t find a sparky or plumber with this level of service!

Robert Pearson – Parkinson – September 2011

When we arrived we quickly went up into the roof void and identified the customer definitely had subterranean termites in the roof. We used a boroscope to see inside the walls to access the termite damage, fortunately for the homeowner the damage was minimal.  As it was getting late we used Termidor foam to kill the live termites to give the customer peace of mind, then came back Monday for a full Timber Pest Inspection with Report.

A full Pest Inspection starts with a visual inspection using a knocker and a moisture meter is passed over all walls.  We then use the latest thermal imaging camera the Flir E50 to measure the surface temperature of all walls. Please see the photo to the right, this is what the thermal camera found in this inspection. The darker patch above the door frame is live termites, Please ignore the glowing ceiling as this is from the sun heating it up due to no insulation. As the termites bring moisture into the house the surface temperature lowers which is a certain give away to a trained thermal camera technician. If your Termite Inspector doesn’t have a thermal camera he could easily miss termites inside your walls.

A small message to every home owner is to regularly check your house for termites to keep any termite damage to a minimal, then call us for a friendly helping hand.

Contact Nick Wood on 07 3343 3934 or  0432 721 715.

The general public does not know that when Brisbane has had no rain, termites (white-ants) can forage 5m down looking for moisture, but when the soil is quite moist termites will forage in your garden about 2cm or 20mm below the surface. This is the main reason why termite attack is so high in the summer months.  Most termite companies or termite eradication businesses are quite busy for about two months after a good drenching of rain treating houses that do not have a current termite barrier.

We at Conquer Termites want to pass on this advice to you, stay vigilant and thoroughly check your house at all times to keep the damage minimal from Subterranean Termites (pest). Please be aware of our wet weather and if you think you might have termites attacking your house, call us now to arrange a free half hour check or a full Pest Inspection.

Pest Inspection

Nick the Termite Inspector was called to inspect the home and on arrival Nick checked the areas of concern and also found the plasterboard looked like it was being squashed. At Conquer Termites South Central we do not jump to any conclusions, so we strongly recommend our free half hour check. As Nick checked the cornices they seemed quite solid, but the plasterboard looked to be crushed. The homeowner gladly started taking off the roof tiles so a more thorough inspection of the roof could be done and on doing so, to our amazement, we could see exactly what was happening.

Termites (white-ants) had been attacking the top plates to the point where the roof had sunk 2 inches or 5cm from the weight. After we took various tiles off we could see about 7 metres had been attacked and was like newspaper. The concerned homeowner could not believe how this could happen. (Please see the photo on right).

The homeowner in Calamvale went ahead with a Full Pest Inspection on the spot. After a very thorough pest inspection was completed it was quite clear that there was no signs of any Subterranean Termite activity or damage inside the structure. Termites (white-ants) had gained concealed entry into the house and chewed their way straight to the top plate. Fortunately or unfortunately as the roof dropped this actually scared the live termites out of the structure. The sinking of the roof might have been a blessing in disguise, otherwise the termites would have gladly kept eating the structural timbers in the roof.

Termite Treatment

In our industry a lot of homeowners will not install a Termite Barrier using the transfer poison Termidor until it is too late.  It is recommended that a termite treatment be installed before termites have done significant termite damage costing in excess of $10, 000.

Our advice to you is simple, protect your biggest asset before it is too late.

Contact Nick Wood on 07 3343 3934 or  0432 721 715 now…for his professional advice.

It was just before Christmas 2011 when we had a worried customer ring asking us for a free quote and some well needed professional advice from a qualified technician, she had contacted the right people Conquer Termites South Central.  When arriving at the home in Runcorn it was soon discovered this lovely home-owner had significant termite (white-ant) damage to one side of her house.  Unfortunately for the home-owner termites had damaged the whole of the bottom plates, studs and even the top plates of the house (please see photo below).

Nick Wood explained that the bottom plates are what the walls sit on, studs are vertical supports to hold Gyprock or Plasterboard and top plates support the roof.  As you can see in the photo, the top plate has been eaten to a point where it has fallen away.  When termites have eaten their way to the top plate this is when the house can become structurally unsafe and a qualified builder is needed.  This can become a very costly situation to be in when the bottom plates, top plates and studs need to be replaced, possibly well in excess of $10,000.

As our termite inspector proceeded to do a very thorough pest inspection of the whole house using all the tools of the trade, a tapper, termatrac, moisture meter, thermal camera and boroscope the home-owner was informed that there was significant damage behind the walls and a qualified builder would be required.  It is quite amazing how this sort of situation can come about, if this particular home-owner did not hire a possum man to remove a troublesome possum from her roof, the termite damage would have been significantly worse or not noticed at all until it was too late.

Home-owners can do their very best to keep termites out of their house but it is always recommended to hire a professional termite inspector to conduct a full pest inspection.  Don’t let them in, call Conquer Termites South Central and save your house today.

Please ring Nick on 07 3343 3934 or directly on 0432 721 715

While inspecting the gardens our Termite Inspector Nick noticed two large palm stumps with termite activity (pest), it is highly recommended that all tree stumps should be stump ground as it can entice termites (white-ants) to nest or forage towards them which makes it very easy for them to make their way into your home.  This particular house in Algester also had old wooden sleepers lying on the ground that also had live termites. It is not uncommon that most gardens and timber, treated or not, will have termites at some stage.

After a very thorough termite inspection using his Thermal Imaging Camera there was no evidence of live termites in the house structure but there was significant moisture around the main shower (please see thermal picture to right).  The darker pattern on the lower wall indicates moisture or lower surface temperature from water leakage.  Due to the excess moisture in the walls around the shower the house is at high risk of termite attack as termites can detect moisture up to 100 metres away (75% of termite attack is found in the shower & bathroom). It was explained to the customer that since live termites had been found  in the garden and excess moisture around the shower, we strongly recommend to install a Termite protection System using the transfer poison Termidor.

So, if you are looking for pest control, termite (pest) inspection or termite treatment, give Conquer Termites a call. We are proud to offer a free half hour consultation to assess your property and give you our recommendations for the termite treatment that will best suit you.

Please feel free to call Nick on 07 3343 3934 or directly on 0432 721 715

One of the advantages of living in an older, established suburb like Eight Mile Plains is that there are more trees and shade, a far nicer environment than many newer estates. The disadvantage though (as far as pest control is concerned) is that over time, most homeowners have had to cut down some larger trees.

 Sometimes this is done without stump grinding (A term used to describe a method of removing a tree stump after the tree has been cut down. A cutting wheel fixed with tungsten teeth is used to chip and grind away the stump wood to below the surface of the ground). Not only is this an eyesore (and for that matter – a public liability issue if someone falls over one), but it is a huge attraction for termites (or white ants, as some people refer to them).

Termites build their nests in tree stumps and will eat the tree stump in your yard. Over time they are going to forage and head towards your biggest investment – your home to continue on their search for food. 

 I always tell my customers that it is far better to get a termite treatment in place BEFORE they have active termites, rather than later. If you wait until termites have been feeding on your home, not only are you going to face the cost of the termite treatment, but also the cost of repairs to your home, which can run into the thousands of dollars.

When it comes to termites, the old adage definitely holds true – prevention is far better than cure!

A lot of people with brick homes tend to think they are safe from termite attack, when in fact they are just as susceptible as anyone else.  A lot of homes are simply brick veneer, and these can be some of the worst, as the termites (nasty pest) can crawl behind the veneer and remain undetected for a long time.  Did you know that termites can actually be eating your house, undetected for up to 10 years?  This alone seems a good reason to have regular pest inspection if there ever was one.

Even double brick homes with steel frames can come under attack from these determined little pest. A CSIRO termite specialist says “They just get in and start eating the architraves or the paper on plasterboard, that sort of thing. Just because your house doesn’t have timber framing doesn’t mean they won’t get you.”

In fact, termites can squeeze through a crack as small as 2mms.  There are very few homes that can claim that they wouldn’t have an entry that small somewhere in their home or foundation.

Obviously, this Underwood home had been under attack for quite some time. Not only did we confirm live termite activity his builders had found, but with the help of a thorough termite inspection and our thermal imaging camera (more about that in another post) we were able to detect other areas of live activity that they  may never have found. One of these was so extensive that the entire hardwood stud had been eaten through all the way to the roof. The damage to this stud was completely concealed! Termites  by their very nature are sneaky. They prefer to eat their food (this Underwood home, in this case) from the inside out.  They do this to protect the virtually blind colony from predators (and detection) and control the humidity and moisture that they need to survive.

We also found termite damage and live activity up in the roof void. Obviously, our Underwood customer booked in a Termite Protection program on the spot.  And since he booked in September, he was able to take advantage of our Summer deal and we deducted the price of his Termite inspection and we threw in the localised termite control (which is an excellent short term way of dealing with the live termites found. A complete Termite barrier is strongly recommended). So the only good piece of news our poor homeowner got that day was a handy $400 saving.  He was very relieved, however at the thoroughness of the pest inspection and the areas we were able to detect that they may not otherwise have done.

Remember, if you are extending your home, it’s vital that you also extend any Termite Protection program you have in place, to make sure that your entire home is still protected. Even if you haven’t detected any termite activity yourself, to be safe you should book a termite (white-ant) inspection at least every 6-12 months.  And if you DO find any termites, be careful not to disturb them. This is only going to encourage them to move to an even harder to detect area.

For a free half hour check, or a termite inspection, please give Conquer Termites South Central a call on 07 3343 3934 or 0432 721 715.

It took a matter of minutes for us to see that this property did in fact, have active termite workings. So, at her request the decision was made to do a full, comprehensive termite (pest) inspection on her property immediately. Understandably, she had no desire to wait, she was anxious that Nick get started as soon as possible.

We could see right away that there were active termite leads on the ground and leading all of the way up to the second floor. Over the next 3 hours, we were to learn the incredible extent of the damage.

As a rule, in a Termite inspection, we start with our tapper, to try to find any suspect spots (there will be a different sound in the wood if termites have been eating it) before moving on to any other tools. When finished with the tapper, Nick used his moisture meter and when he reached the master bedroom, the moisture meter detected an extremely high level of moisture in the gyprock. He got his thermal imaging camera (we are beginning to suspect this is Nick Woods’ favourite toy J) and it showed this:

The large ball of red you see in the centre of the picture is a large grouping of termites in the wall in one area and the other circle is soldier termites attempting (they move quickly!) to repair the hole I had made with my screwdriver in the gyprock!

The homeowner agreed to an immediate termite control of all active termites in the home so I foamed all areas with active termites with Termidor Foam.  As the homeowner booked in a full termite barrier for her property on the spot, she was able to take advantage of our Conquer Termites South Central Brisbane special deal. She saved herself $240 for the inspection and $250 for the foaming.

We left her home at 7pm and were able to return the very next day to complete the rest of the termite treatment. Another very happy customer in Kingston, and a Pest Control Tech pretty satisfied with having hunted the termites down and protected someone’s property.

The following is a testimonial written by the customer.

I have just had my home treated for termites today by Nick Wood. His professionalism is outstanding.
He provided 1/2 hour free check, followed by a full inspection and because of the degree of infestation, began the treatment immediately inside the house last night. He returned today and has worked for more than 10 hours to complete the exterior treatment. He is not only extremely professional, but polite and respectful.

What a wonderful service Conquer Termites Pest Management provides. Thanks again Nick.

Gail Morris – Kingston – October 2011