Some Brisbane homeowners may be facing tens of thousands of dollars in bills to treat infestations of an extremely destructive termite species.
New detections of West Indian drywall termites in the city have sparked a biosecurity crackdown.
The invasive species burrows into wooden buildings and timber furniture and although the insect is only half a centimetre in size, it can have a devastating impact on homes.
“They are very destructive,” Wayne Neale from Dunrite Pest Control Operations said.
“They can eat the external frames of the house, get into the roof, eat the trusses and bearers.”
The termite species has been in the state since the 1960s but detections have prompted Biosecurity Queensland to alert Brisbane residents.
“During the next week, 30,000 residential and business addresses will receive mail with advice of what to look for and what to do,” Biosecurity Queensland said.
Those suburbs include Coorparoo, West End, Woolloongabba and Manly.
The termites are treated by fumigating homes, a process the state government previously paid for until the free fumigation program was scrapped in January last year.
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“We ended up paying $34,000 to get it fixed and fumigated,” a homeowner told 9News.
The bill can even be higher and the damage much worse.
“[It] wouldn’t be the first time a home would have to be condemned through a termite attack,” Neale said.
Not even the state government is immune to an infestation. Parliament House had to be evacuated and wrapped in a tent to rid it of termites in 1979.
Signs of a termite infestation can include “termite frass”, which is regurgitated mud in the home, and damage to doors.
Queenslanders are required to report a termite infestation to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours of discovery
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Residents are urged to call an expert for help.
