Uncovering termites at the community centre
During major renovation works at the Frankston North Community Centre, contractors uncovered active termites inside the childcare room. The discovery immediately brought the renovation project to a halt, creating concerns about structural damage, project delays, and the safety of a building used by the local community.
Following an inspection, Pest Police Australia was engaged by Frankston City Council after the previous pest management provider had been unable to identify the underlying causes contributing to the ongoing termite risk.
Frankston North, Victoria
What We Uncovered
Our comprehensive inspection revealed several significant termite-conducive conditions that had gone undetected for years, including:
- Excessive mulch built up against external walls, creating constant moisture and concealed termite access.
- Dense vegetation and foliage growing directly against the building, preventing ventilation and trapping moisture.
- A concealed subfloor area that had never previously been inspected or included in termite inspections.
- Elevated moisture levels throughout sections of the building, creating the ideal environment for termite activity.
- Renovation works exposing previously hidden termite galleries within the childcare area.
- These conditions meant termites had been able to establish themselves with little chance of being detected during routine inspections.
Pest Police Best Practice Approach
Rather than simply treating the termites we could see, our priority was to eliminate the entire colony while protecting the building for the future.
Working closely with Frankston City Council, builders and project managers, we developed a staged termite management plan that allowed the renovation project to proceed safely while ensuring long-term protection.
Stage 1 – Colony Elimination
We installed a strategic termite baiting system to target the live colony. This approach allowed termites to continue feeding naturally before transferring the bait throughout the colony, resulting in complete elimination rather than simply killing the termites that were immediately visible.
Stage 2 – Long-Term Protection
Once colony elimination was confirmed, we completed a full perimeter treatment using Termidor HE, creating a continuous treated zone around the building to provide long-lasting protection against future termite attack.
Equally important, we provided recommendations to eliminate the environmental conditions that had attracted termites in the first place, including reducing mulch levels, clearing vegetation away from the building, improving ventilation to the concealed subfloor area, and implementing ongoing termite management practices.
The Result
- Active termite colony successfully eliminated.
- Renovation works were able to recommence with confidence.
- A long-term termite management system was installed using industry-leading Termidor HE technology.
- Previously unidentified termite-conducive conditions were rectified.
- Frankston City Council gained a proactive termite management strategy to help protect this important community facility well into the future.
Interesting Fact
Many termite infestations aren’t caused by the absence of termite treatments, they’re caused by hidden moisture issues and conducive conditions that go unnoticed. In this case, identifying why termites were attacking the building proved just as important as eliminating the colony itself.
At Pest Police Australia, we don’t just treat termites – we investigate the cause, eliminate the colony, and implement long-term protection to minimise the risk of future infestations.
Frankston City Council have 280 buildings that we look after to prevent termites, ants, spiders and rodents. If you have a commercial building and you need the best pest inspectors on the job, please give is a call.
40,000+ properties inspected, qualified and accredited inspectors. Across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
