18th September 2025
Buried in our long list of to do things, admittedly fairly low down, was treat the property for termites. We had a recommendation that it needs to be done every 5 yrs. As we have come to accept the sparsity of information from the previous owner extends to all manner of things not least when the last treatment for termites was. Companies that we have asked for quotes have treated the property before but not within 5 years. The process involves drilling holes around the base of the property, introducing under pressure a termiticide, this coats the little critters on contact (should they have the audacity to enter your property). They then carry it back to the nest. Termites per se are not dangerous, but get them up into the rafters or floor boards and they will munch through a roof or a floor. Anyway it was on our list.
We have several termite nests in the large trees around the property. They are things of great engineering. Huge masses of brown material made from chewed wood (like your roof rafters) soil, faeces, and saliva suspended from the branches. The little termites have far to go, they march long distances down from the nest and then into the ground and march up their enclosed trails up to the nests. We have come to learn, scratch the top off these trails and out they march …ergo …a live trail or nest. What you do not want to see is one of these trails going up the side of the wall …. The wall to your house.
So three days ago I did the required investigation and scratched the top off the trail going up to the cottage ….eek. By this morning there were 3 trails. They might have far to go but “dem move farse” Suddenly termite treatment has moved up the list ….to the top.
Luckily we had just the man. To the rescue.
Three hours later …..Holes drilled, stuff injected, holes filled.
Nests treated.
Being a Thursday child myself, my prediction is that it’s not been such a good Thursday for these critters with not so far to go now.
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