At least once every 12 months, and more often if the house sits near bushland or large trees. That is the interval recommended by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) in its termite management guide for homeowners, and CSIRO gives the same minimum for homes that have already been treated. A barrier or past treatment does not replace the yearly check. It only works if someone keeps checking that termites have not found a way around it.
Why is once a year the minimum?
Because no termite system stops termites from living on your block. The QBCC guide says a barrier is there to stop termites getting into the house through a hidden route, and that installing one will not stop termite activity on the site. Its job is to force termites into the open, where an inspector can see their mud tubes before the damage spreads.
Termite systems also wear out. The same guide says chemical systems have a limited life and need ongoing treatment, while physical systems are designed to last as long as the building only if they are properly maintained. CSIRO's Managing Termites guide adds that most treatments give no lasting protection against new colonies moving in later, which is why it says regular inspections, at least annually, are required after treatment.
CSIRO also notes that most Australian states and territories have a moderate to very high risk of termite attack. The exceptions it names are Tasmania and some areas around Melbourne, not Sydney.
When should a Shire home be inspected more often?
The QBCC guide names high risk areas, such as homes near trees or bush, as the clearest case for more frequent checks. Much of the Sutherland Shire fits that description.
Yarrawarrah borders the Royal National Park and contains many pockets of bushland. A Yarrawarrah house whose back fence meets the bush, with stumps and fallen timber a few metres from the walls, has far more termite food nearby than a house on a cleared street, so an annual termite inspection in Yarrawarrah is the least it needs, and the technician may recommend a shorter gap.
Woronora is ringed by bushland, with homes lining both sides of the Woronora River. A riverside Woronora home with damp soil along its lower side and bush on the slope behind combines the moisture and timber that subterranean termites rely on. Booking a termite inspection in Woronora and asking whether that block needs checks more often than once a year is a sensible first step.
Which changes around the house call for an extra inspection?
Most termite entries start at the edge of the house, and the QBCC guide says the most common cause is an owner bridging a barrier without realising it. Any of these changes can open a hidden path that the last inspection never saw:
- a new garden bed, turf, paving or path built up against the wall
- a water tank placed against the house
- a pergola, carport, fence or garage attached to the house
- new underground services connected to the house, such as a pay TV cable
- timber stacked or leaning against the walls
The guide recommends at least 75 millimetres between the bottom of a weep hole and the top of a garden bed or paving. If a renovation has buried that gap, last year's clean report no longer covers it.
Yowie Bay takes its name from a small bay on the north shore of the Port Hacking estuary. A Yowie Bay owner who has just had a timber deck and a new rainwater tank added along the back wall should book a termite inspection in Yowie Bay once the work is finished, rather than waiting for the next annual check.
Does a new or treated house still need yearly inspections?
Yes. The NSW Government's home building safety and standards page says the builder must install a termite risk management system for new building work, and that an effective system combined with regular inspections can significantly reduce the risk of termite damage. A new home is protected at handover, not for life.
The QBCC guide explains that the building code requires a termite notice fixed somewhere prominent, such as the meter box. It records the type of system, the date it was installed, the life expectancy of any chemical used and the installer's recommendation for how often future inspections should happen. If your notice suggests a shorter interval than a year, follow the notice.
A house that has been treated before needs the same attention. Engadine is bounded by the Royal National Park on one side and Heathcote National Park on the other. An Engadine owner whose house was treated for termites some years ago and has had no check since should book termite inspection and treatment in Engadine, because a past treatment says nothing about which colonies have moved in since.
What should you watch for between inspections?
The QBCC guide asks owners to keep an eye on the house between professional inspections. That means noticing, not treating. Look for mud tubes on slab edges, piers or brickwork, timber that sounds hollow, and paint that bubbles or ripples. CSIRO describes flying termites leaving the nest during humid periods in the warmer months, often at dusk, and shedding their wings soon after landing. Piles of wings on a windowsill are worth reporting.
If you find any of these, leave them alone. CSIRO warns that disturbing termites can drive them away for a while, which makes the colony harder to find and treat. Call for an inspection instead of waiting for the yearly date.
Before you book
Have these ready so the technician can plan the visit:
- the date of the last termite inspection, and a copy of the report if you have one
- what the notice in the meter box says, or a photo of it
- any past treatment, and roughly when it was done
- renovations, decks, tanks, paths or garden beds added since the last check
- anything you have noticed, such as mud tubes, hollow timber or wings
Send those details to our team for termite and pest inspections across the Sutherland Shire: call Sutherland Shire Pest Control Pro on 02 8360 3033 or email [email protected].