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A recent article published by the Brisbane Times illustrates with painful clarity exactly why you should not let termite nests grow near your home. This week, a woman was killed by a falling tree that was so damaged by termites it fell over.
We can't tell you how often we hear people refuse to treat the termites in their yard because "they're happy eating my retaining wall, no need to worry about them coming inside..." or " a friend years ago told me not to worry about termite nests in trees because they're not the house eating kind..." When we hear these myths we usually ask something like "what are the termites going to eat once they're finished with your retaining wall?" or "Termites are not picky and will eat any cellulose material including the timber that is holding your house up!"
It baffles us how many people are willing to allow a termite colony to grow so close to their home based on some erroneous advice given to them years ago by a "friend". Allowing termites to grow so close to your home is a recipe for disaster in south-east Queensland. Yes, they are in the retaining wall now and when they're finished the colony will be bigger than ever and will be looking for a food source big enough to sustain it (ie. your house).
We've all heard the news stories and seen the footage of a house that's been absolutely eaten out by termites and it's not pretty but as we learned this week, allowing termites to thrive close to your home could spell injury or even death for someone you care about.
Termites damage all types of timber in their quest to consume it and are well known for damaging trees. If you live in an area like Wakerley or Gumdale where there are large trees around, you should be extra vigilant about termites and treat them when they are found and keep your family and loved ones safe from a falling tree.
Granted falling trees don't happen everyday but this is a timely reminder for us all to make sure our termite management plan is up to date.
Found active termites? Call Results Home Services now on 3823 2500 and have one of our qualified and experienced termite experts out to give you the best advice to move forward. We service all of Brisbane including Wakerley, Gumdale, Wynnum, Manly, Carina and Birkdale.