Sinister find above garage door prompts warning over 'active' threat to Aussie homes

Yahoo

15-03-2025

Australian property owners are being warned to remain vigilant about the invasive and destructive threat of termite infestations after a scary detail was spotted above a garage door. The image, taken in Albany Creek in Brisbane, highlights how infestations can hide in plain sight in our homes.
"This is subterranean termite workings, known as stalactite, from the garage roof," pest controller Jhy Carroll told Yahoo News of the shocking discovery. "When we inspected this house, we also found active termites through the garage walls and skirting boards."
While every job is different, he said the cost to eliminate the colony and install a preventative system to "protect the building in the future" was between $3,000 and $5,000.
The warning comes after Yahoo News reported that termites thrive in wetter and more humid conditions, meaning the critters are 'on the move' searching for new places to forage and find food.
According to the Australian Museum, termite colonies are formed during warm, humid weather, typically in spring and autumn. While there are over 200 species of termites in Australia, only a few are of concern to humans.
"The warmer months of the year are always the most active time for termites, however after all the recent floods these properties that get water ingress are at higher risk of termite activity," Carroll said, referring to the tropical low weather system known as Ex-Cyclone Alfred which hit the east coast last week.
If found inside a home, termites can cause serious damage by eating away at wooden structures. The University of Technology Sydney previously discovered that termites cause $ 1.5 billion in damage to homes every year.
Yahoo News recently spoke with a couple who were left more than $100,00 out of pocket after they purchased a multi-million dollar property on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in June last year only to later find a pest report didn't uncover extensive termite damage at the property.
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According to Carroll, there are two main ways to prevent termites, one is with a chemical barrier and the other is an in-ground baiting system.
"Chemical barrier treatment consists of digging a trench around the external perimeter of the home and chemically treating the soil area," he said.
While in-ground systems are also installed around the external perimeter of the house, they include a bait that the termites feed on to "eliminate the colony".
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