When summer rolls around, most of us are just thinking about three things: longer days, summer barbecues and being outdoors in the fresh air. The last thing on our minds is what’s going on below ground level or behind our walls. But while we’re enjoying the season, termites are too. In fact, the heat and humidity that make Australian summers so famous are also ideal for rapid or increased termite damage.
Most termite activity can start relatively small-scale and harmless at first. A little bit of soft timber here, a few paint bubbles there. By the time you realise you have a problem, it’s often after significant damage has occurred. Termites are more active in the warmer months, so the damage they cause to your home or commercial property over summer can be 10 times faster than the rest of the year.
That’s bad news for any homeowner who are looking to sell or move on in the next 6-12 months. At Specialist Termite Control, we see the aftermath of summer termite damage all too often. It’s why we always recommend a professional termite inspection either before or during summer, as early detection is your best weapon against expensive termite damage.
No matter how busy you are during the summer, it’s worth taking the time to schedule a professional termite inspection. Peace of mind is worth so much more than the stress of finding out you have termites when it’s too late.
But why is summer so bad when it comes to termite damage? And what can you do to prepare your home before it’s too late? We get into it below.
Table of Contents
- Why Termites Are Worse in Summer
- What Attracts Termites to Your Home in Hot Weather
- Common Summer Conditions That Encourage Termite Infestation
- Signs of Termite Damage to Watch For in Summer
- Preventing Termite Damage During Summer
- Best Time for Termite Inspection in Australia
- How to Protect Your Home from Termites in Summer
- Stay Ahead of Termite Damage This Summer
Why Termites Are Worse in Summer
If you’ve ever noticed more insects buzzing around during the warmest times of the year, you’re not imagining it, and termites are no different. In fact, summer is when these silent destroyers are most active. Warmth and moisture provide ideal breeding conditions, causing colonies to go into overdrive. This is the time of year when their natural termite lifecycle aligns with their environment; new colonies form, feed, and expand at a faster pace.
The science behind this phenomenon is simple: heat has a direct impact on termite activity by accelerating their metabolism. When it’s hot, termites eat more, tunnel further, and reproduce rapidly. Each of these activities contributes to the high termite activity we see in hot weather. And because much of it happens beneath the surface or behind walls, it often goes unnoticed until the damage has been done.
Termites are worse in summer, but it’s not just a matter of temperature; it’s also a matter of timing. The sooner you can recognise the early warning signs of termites (discarded wings, mud tubes, hollow-sounding wood, etc.), the better your chance of protecting your home before the problem worsens.
What Attracts Termites to Your Home in Hot Weather
As for what attracts termites to your home, the answer is typically “moisture and easy access to food” — and as far as termites are concerned, that “food” is wood. In summer, the combination of warm weather and rain or high humidity creates the perfect damp environment for them to flourish. Sometimes it only takes a small thing to attract them; a leaking outdoor tap, garden mulch up against the house, or timber storage right up against a wall, for example.
As for the question “what do termites like most?” It’s a combination of shelter and a constant humidity level. Termites love soft, moist timber, and they’ll tunnel through soil or concrete cracks to find it. Anything touching the ground (like timbers in subfloors, garden beds or decking posts) is a prime target, particularly in summer when the ground soil is kept warm and moist.
Many people also ask “do termites come out in summer?” The answer is yes, and often in large numbers. In summer, mature termites with wings (known as alates) venture out of the nest in search of new places to set up a colony. You may see these “flying termites” swarming around your lights or windows, particularly after a rain shower.
If you’re wondering what termites look like, many people confuse them with ants. Termites are generally smaller and paler, with soft, cream-to-light-brown bodies and straight antennae. Unlike ants, their waists are not pinched in (in fact they’re the same width all the way down their bodies). Termites also have two pairs of wings, with the fore and hind wings being equal in length and slightly translucent. This helps them fly (for short distances) when starting new colonies.
Common Summer Conditions That Encourage Termite Infestation
The warmer weather leading into the Australian summer provides conditions ripe for termites well before they arrive on the scene. Persistent hot days combined with overnight humidity and heavy downpours allow for both the soil and timber to remain hot and wet, creating conditions for your Melbourne home to become more susceptible to dampness.
In fact, this is typical of summer weather in southern Australia. Victoria’s warm season is known for being punctuated with periods of dry heat and flash storms. The alternation doesn’t just impact your garden and lawn; it creates conditions that encourage moisture into and around the footings of your home.
Following heavy rainfall and a cooling breeze, the topsoil quickly cools while the heat is retained in the subterranean layers. The result? A reservoir of humidity, ready to linger and leave a zone of dampness around your footings, fences, and retaining walls, all ideal termite habitats.
Geography also plays a role in this process. Melbourne is also surrounded by clay-based soils that are known for their water retention following rainfall and slower evaporation overnight during cooler temperatures. In other words, there’s a cycle at play across Australia, just in different guises: high humidity across Queensland or northern parts of New South Wales, afternoon dry-heat storms down south and east, coastal dew points down west. Regardless, the outcome is the same: a warm, humid ground with little variation for months on end, even if the surface may feel and appear dry.
The urban environment has the ability to exacerbate this micro-climate situation. Urban materials like concrete and paving, along with landscaped gardens and flora, absorb and re-emit radiant heat creating their own “heat islands” within a city. Add some residual moisture from a storm, or watered gardens, and you have the perfect pocket of climate underground and around your home.
Signs of Termite Damage to Watch For in Summer
Termite damage can worsen quickly over the summer months, so it’s crucial that homeowners can recognise the signs of a termite infestation early. Subterranean termites are difficult to spot in their early stages, but there are some clear visual signs that there is an infestation in your home before the damage becomes more serious.
Mud markings on lining walls, rippling or swelling of timber floorboard/frames, swarms in or around your property are just to name a few signs that termites could be in our Melbourne homes.
Termites use these passageways to move between the colony in the soil and the timber in your home. Mud tubes are narrow, tunnel-like structures made from a mix of soil, saliva and termite droppings. They protect the insects from heat, light and predators and provide a humid pathway for foraging the termites. Mud tubes are effectively a “highway” for termites.
Damaged or hollowed timber can also be a major tell-tale sign, especially if the damage is hidden. Termites eat the wood from the inside out, often leaving a thin veneer of surface timber. Hollowed-out beams, floors or architraves often make a dull, hollow sound when tapped. Identifying the hollowing of timber is important to know what termites sound like, so you can identify them before damage worsens. Because the damage is often hidden, a property can have weakened beams, flooring or furniture with few external signs until serious damage has occurred.
Termite tunnels can let moisture into walls, causing blistered or bubbling paint on walls or discarded wings by windows or other light sources that are left by reproductive alates are also visible signs of termites in the home.
Preventing Termite Damage During Summer
Summer is termite season and avoiding termite infestation during the summer is a priority for any homeowner. There’s more than one way to prepare your home to minimise termite damage. It is also important to know how to get rid of termites if you do find evidence of an infestation.
While some infestations will need professional treatment, there are several simple measures you can take to minimise your risk:
Clear Timber and Maintain Landscaping
Wood piles, fallen branches, and thick mulch make perfect shelter for termites. By keeping timber, garden waste and mulch away from the foundation, you can help prevent termite colonies from setting up residence close to your home.
Fix Leaks and Manage Moisture
A dripping tap, leaking pipe or poorly draining gutters can add to moisture trouble in and around the home. Repairing leaks and making sure water flows away from the house will help reduce the damp conditions that are attractive to termites.
Keep Timber Off Soil
Any timber that is in contact with soil is an easily accessible food source for termites. Decking posts, fence panels and firewood are some of the main timber structures that need to be elevated above the ground, or built with termite-resistant materials.
Regular Inspections
Regular inspections can go a long way in helping to avoid serious termite damage, with summer conditions leading to increased termite activity. Periodic annual professional inspections are a good idea to ensure problems are detected and controlled early.
By combining several of these simple steps with professional support where necessary, most homeowners can stay one step ahead of the termites this summer.
Best Time for Termite Inspection in Australia
Termite inspection timing is a critical factor in pest control, with experts suggesting conducting termite inspections in Australia before the summer months. This is when termite activity is at its highest, as the warm temperatures and humidity cause colonies to feed, tunnel, and expand. Trained professionals can assist in detecting the first signs of termite infestation and hopefully preventing any serious termite damage occurring.
Professional termite inspections with Specialist Termite Control are recommended at least once per year; however, in high-risk areas or during particularly hot and wet seasons, it can be worth increasing this frequency. Factors such as property type, building materials and environment can affect how often to do a termite inspection and our team can advise on the best approach for your home.
A termite inspection includes a comprehensive assessment of the property and checks of vulnerable points on and around the home, including subfloors, wall cavities, roof spaces, and garden perimeters. We look for visible signs such as mud tubes, hollow timber, and moisture build-up and we also look for less obvious indicators that homeowners often overlook. Early termite infestation is identified through this process by utilising a combination of visual and detection tools.
Termite treatment costs are another common question from customers, and we aim to be as upfront as possible with the advice we give. We offer a range of flexible treatment options to ensure your home gets the right solution for the right situation and acting early can often lower the scope and cost of the treatment.
How to Protect Your Home from Termites in Summer
Summer in Australia is termite season, so having a plan of attack for how to protect your home from termites in summer is a must. Simple preventive measures can go a long way in this regard, but often expert solutions provide the most effective termite solutions.
At Specialist Termite Control, we specialise in tailor-made termite treatments that can achieve long-lasting management systems around your home. From chemical termite treatments to shield your property from active termites or protect against them before they can even get a foot in the door, or ongoing termite monitoring systems to detect any activity before it becomes a problem. Our methods work around the clock to protect your property.
Termite protection is both a reactive and ongoing effort, which is why we take the time to assess your property, recommend suitable treatments, and help put in place a full system for keeping your home safe all season long.
Chemical treatments, or monitoring systems with regular inspections are all part of our service, so you don’t have to guess about summer termite protection. With Specialist Termite Control on your side, you can have peace of mind knowing your home is properly defended against these destructive insects all season long.
For long-term termite protection, the best option is to call in the experts.
Stay Ahead of Termite Damage This Summer
Summer is a time for fun in the sun and the good news is, most termite infestations can be avoided with a bit of knowledge, maintenance and professional protection. You can beat the
termites if you are aware of the risks and start early by regularly monitoring moisture, timber and possible entry points.
Our team services suburbs all over Melbourne, which means if you are a local homeowner you can get advice and protection that’s right for your suburb. If you suspect you have seen termites and want confirmation you could qualify for a free assessment from Specialist Termite Control. We have the skills and tools to spot termites, as well as proven protection to keep your home termite-free this summer.
If you wait too long you can be sure the termites will get to your home first. Contact Specialist Termite Control early in the season and relax knowing your home is termite-free this summer.
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