Homes Hit by Termites
More than 100,000 Victorian homes have been attacked by termites in the past three years in a plague that has already cost home owners more than $270 million.
Half of these attacks in Melbourne took place in in areas that had not been declared by their councels as Termite prone.
The average damage bill at each property was $4500, with the costs at some homes running to $40,000!
It took only 4 months for Jan Bennett's dream home to turn into her worst nightmare.
Ms Bennnett bought the two bedroom house in Rowville in July, expecting she would enjoy its spacious interior and beautifully landscaped gardens until she retired. All that changed when she noticed small mounds of sawdust on the ensuite floor.
Further investigation revealed pinprick holes in the door jamb and architraves. That night like a scene from a horror movie her house became alive. More tiny holes appeared and within minutes her home was filled with a grey cloud of flying insects that fluttered aimlessly near lights and windows. A friend entering the room was convinced that it was filled with smoke.
"I screamed. I was hysterical," Ms Bennett said. "I didn't know what was going on."
Her house was riddled with termites and they were on the move. There were so many in the timbers they could be heard by pressing an ear to the walls.
Her repair bill is estimated at $25,000. There is no insurance cover for such a problem.
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Victoria's most infected suburbs
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| Port Phillip - 4303 | Boroondara - 1854 |
| Manningham - 2090 | Hobson's Bay - 1729 |
| Mornington Peninsula - 2281 | Frankston - 1713 |
| Monash - 2073 | Whitehorse - 1671 |
| Knox - 1965 | Maribyrnong - 1607 |
| Yarra Ranges - 1923 | Casey - 1606 |
| Banyule - 1861 | Nillumbik - 1535 |
Author: Graeme Hammond - Sunday Herald Sun 2005
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