Does Your Property Need New Termite Control After A Flood?

In 2017, Brisbane was once again impacted by plenty of summer storm flooding. Hundreds of millimetres of rain fell on Brisbane as part of Cyclone Debbie's aftermath, and this rainfall caused schools to be closed and homes to be flooded. As a first time homeowner who wants to make sure your property investment is protected, you already know to get your home treated against termite infestation. However, have you considered the impact that heavy rainfall has on the effectiveness of this treatment? These are the three points you should consider now the heavy summer storms have passed.

Is Termite Treatment Waterproof?

While each company uses a different blend of termite control pesticide, and you should ask the termite control company who originally applied the treatment about its waterproofness, the answer should be yes. However, while termite control is designed to withstand a drenching from a heavy storm, it does become ineffective when exposed to storm damage or heavy flooding.

When Should Termite Retreatment Be Considered?

If your property experienced any of these situations during the summer storms and flooding, then retreatment is advisable:

  • an erosion of the dirt around the foundation of your home where the termite bait was previously applied;
  • there has been a movement of the house caused by floodwaters;
  • termite infected wood or soil has been washed onto your property by flood waters;
  • new wood product has been used to repair the damage done to your home by the floods.

In these instances, you have untreated areas of the home now vulnerable to attack by termites, which means retreatment is necessary to establish a protection barrier against them.

Complete Or Partial Treatment?

There is a cost differential between full and partial treatments, and this may sway your decision; however, a property heavily exposed to flood water has possibly lost all protection against termites. It is best to err on the side of caution and have the whole property treated against termite attack. This way, you do not get the unexpected surprise of finding termites in an area that you thought was protected.

Termite controllers are busy retreating homes after floods for the reasons outlined above, so it is important you put yourself in line for a treatment sooner rather than later. The longer you leave the re-treatment process, the more chance that termites have to infect your home. Prevention treatment is less expensive than paying for termite damage repairs.


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