Pre-Purchase Inspections – Termite Activity – Shelter Tubes
Here is a clear example of termite activity in a roof void seen during a recent Pre-Purchase Building and Timber Pest Inspection. In this example Termites have made shelter tubes as they track from an entry point into the dwelling to an area where conditions are ideal for feeding such as some damp timber under a broken tile or leaky gutter.
Termites cannot exist very long exposed to the atmosphere as they dehydrate quickly, so they need to be in an enclosed environment. These tubes are made by the termites to create such an environment where one is not naturally available.
In this case the activity is easy to see, but in many cases evidence of termites is hidden from few and difficult for the inspector to identify.
This home has no insulation in the roof space which greatly helps the detection of termite activity by an inspector but does not make the building very energy efficient.
