Termite inspections & treatment in Cairns.

Two species, not one - why Cairns is different.

Australia has hundreds of termite species but only a handful do real damage. Cairns has the worst two. Coptotermes acinaciformis - the most destructive termite on the continent - builds large central colonies and forages up to 100m through soil to reach timber, growing to a million-strong colony inside 5-7 years. We also sit in the range of Mastotermes darwiniensis, the giant northern termite, which attacks live trees, garden timbers, cable insulation and even soft concrete. Treating Cairns like a southern city is a mistake - all our work is done to AS 3660 with both species in mind.

The AS 3660 inspection.

A proper inspection is not a 20-minute walk-around. To AS 3660.2 we methodically cover the sub-floor, roof void, full perimeter, garden and fence line, wet areas and outbuildings, taking moisture-meter readings and probing suspect timbers. On the old elevated Queenslanders common around Cairns the sub-floor tells most of the story; on slab-on-ground estate homes we work the perimeter weep holes, expansion joints and slab edge. Where activity is suspected we use a borescope and thermal imaging on stud walls. You get a written report within 24 hours. Pre-purchase buyers should always request the more detailed AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection.

Chemical soil barriers.

A non-repellent termiticide such as Termidor SC is injected into a treated zone in the soil around the building. Termites cannot detect it, pass through it, pick it up and transfer it through the colony. It gives broad protection for roughly 8 years and is the workhorse for high-risk properties and active-infestation response. A standard residential barrier runs $1,500-$5,000 depending on the size and shape of the footprint and how much drilling through paths and slabs is needed.

Baiting systems.

A baiting system such as Sentricon places in-ground stations around the perimeter. Foraging termites feed on a growth regulator and carry it back, eliminating the colony at the source - including the queen. Stations are then monitored on an ongoing basis. Install is about $1,800-$3,500 plus annual monitoring. Baiting is ideal where trenching is awkward, where you want to wipe out a known colony, and as the interior half of a combined program. On the highest- pressure Cairns blocks we often run a chemical barrier and baiting together.

Licensing and why we do not cut corners.

Termite work in Queensland needs a licensed Queensland Pest Management Technician (administered by Queensland Health under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019) with the right competency for AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection; barrier installs on new builds also engage QBCC requirements. We use only APVMA-registered termiticides, applied to label. The corners cut in this trade are the dangerous ones - skipping the sub-floor or roof void, guessing instead of moisture-metering, or installing an under-strength barrier. A missed colony in a Cairns home can mean tens of thousands in structural repairs, so we inspect fully and document everything for your insurer.

Termites are only part of the picture in the tropics - see our general pest control and rodent control, or read about the high termite pressure in rainforest-backed Redlynch.