Lake Macquarie, Australia:
Termites Force Lake House Demolition
The house by the lake was inhabited when the termite infestation of the council owned property was determined unfit. The determination to destroy any home means that something has gone too far. In this case the termites had gone too far. There was no other recourse. The determination was that council owned properties are not always kept in the greatest shape. Sometimes maintenance issues are delayed until it’s too late. Termites are termites; they wait for no man.
On a lighter note the site will be used for tourism. Lake Macquarie is the largest salt water lake in Australia and the largest permanent salt water lake in the southern hemisphere. Tourism is tourism. The beautiful area located in New South Wales is already zoned for tourism. The property was purchased by the council in 1960, so they have probably gotten their use out of it. Whether they will build on the site once the termites are gone was not mentioned in the news from ABC Radio, Australia.
Termites, often referred to as “white ants” are, like all creatures in Australia, pretty tough and resilient. Australia is home to hundreds of “white ant” species, unlike North America where we have just a few. We know that what works for one type of termite will not work for the others and the wrong product can be worse than using nothing at all. Getting rid of a building that is harboring such a large number of termites is no easy task, because when termites are disturbed they disperse. That could mean new colonies elsewhere if the termites are not exterminated first.
Termites are common wherever there is food and water, food for them was of course the lake house. Old wood, damp wood, and rotting wood are what termites were made for, to destroy and recycle. The proximity of the wood framed house to water and the age of the home should have all been indicators of the problem that was coming.
Termites in Phoenix nest based on those same criteria; if there is damp wood it should be removed. Rotted or dry wood should be moved away from your home. These are just an invitation to termites and carpenter ants. Don’t hesitate to call for your free termite inspection, especially if you see “white ants” when clearing the debris from your property. I used to call them that too, before I found out that white ants are termites.
Mesa AZ –
Termite Control Arizona
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(480) 582-0996
