Termite Treatment and Control Sydney

Most chemical barrier and baiting systems on a Sydney home come in at around $5,000, depending on the size of the house and access. You get a written, itemised quote before anything starts. What moves the price: the length of the perimeter, whether it's a slab or a house with a subfloor, how much concrete needs drilling, how far the termites have spread, and which system suits the property. I inspect first, so the quote is for what's actually there.

There's a full breakdown in my termite treatment cost guide.

How to know if you need termite treatment

You don't always see termites. They work from the inside out, so the timber can look fine on the surface while it's hollow behind. Here's what's worth watching for.

• Mud tubes. Pencil-width tunnels of brown mud running up brick piers, foundation walls or the slab edge. That's how subterranean termites travel between the soil and your house. Fresh, damp mud means live activity.
• Hollow or soft timber. Tap along skirting boards, door frames and architraves. A hollow sound, or timber that gives under light pressure, can mean termites have eaten it from behind.
• Dust on the floor. Ant frass is fine, black and dusty, like ground pepper. Termite workings are brown mud, solid, not powder. If it's brown mud, get it looked at.
• Wings. Small piles of equal-length wings near windows or lights on a warm spring or summer evening. That's swarmers leaving a nearby colony.

If you spot any of this, don't disturb it. Knocking into a live nest can split the colony and send it somewhere else in the house. Leave it alone and call me. A termite inspection tells us what's actually going on.

What I do, step by step

I don't recommend a treatment over the phone, and I don't sell a one-size package. Here's how a job runs.

1. I inspect. I go through the whole property: the subfloor, the roof void, every room and the full outside perimeter. I bring a thermal imaging camera and a moisture meter on every job. The thermal camera picks up moisture and termite activity behind walls and floors where you can't see it. The moisture meter gives me a direct reading inside the timber, which matters because moisture is what draws termites in.
2. I map what's there. Before I touch anything, I work out how far the activity has spread and how the termites are getting in. Disturb a live colony before you know the full picture and it can split, then re-establish somewhere else in the house. That's a worse problem than the one you started with.
3. I write the report on-site, before I leave. You get it in your hand the same visit: what I found, where, and what the options are. It doesn't sit in an email queue.
4. I give you a straight quote. I talk you through the options for your property, in writing, with the cost, and you decide. Nothing starts until you're happy with the plan.
5. I do the work and document it. After treatment you get a record of what was done, the products used, the warranty that applies, and what to keep an eye on.

The treatment approaches

The right treatment depends on your property, the species, and how far the activity has gone.

Termite chemical barrier

A chemical barrier puts a treated zone in the soil around your home so termites can't reach the structure. I use Termidor. It's non-repellent, so the termites can't detect it. They walk through it, pick it up, and carry it back to the nest through grooming and feeding, which takes out the colony instead of pushing it next door. On an existing home I trench around the perimeter, a 300 × 300 mm trench treated and backfilled in layers, and drill through any concrete at the entry points. Suited to established homes where activity has been found or the risk is high. Learn more about chemical barriers.

Termite baiting and monitoring

Bait stations go into the soil around the perimeter. Termites find them while they're foraging, feed on the bait, and carry it back to the colony, where it stops them moulting and the colony dies off over time. No trenching, no drilling, no chemical in the soil. I use Trelona and Nemesis depending on the site. It suits properties with established gardens, tight slab access, or anywhere soil treatment isn't practical. The stations get checked and topped up on a regular service. Learn more about baiting and monitoring.

Building new?

A physical barrier goes in before the slab is poured, and it can't be added to an existing home. That's covered on the pre-construction termite barrier page. On a new build I can also install a reticulation system, which lets the soil be re-treated without trenching.

Warranties

A Termidor chemical barrier carries my 8-year installation warranty. If termites cross the treated area, I re-treat it at no charge. The warranty covers that re-treatment, not building damage or repairs, and it stays valid as long as you keep up your yearly inspection with me, because that's how a breach from later building work or landscaping gets caught early. A TermSeal pre-construction barrier carries a 50-year warranty, also kept valid by annual inspections. A baiting system is covered while I'm monitoring it.

I'll go through what applies to your property when I quote.

How I work

Every job is done by me. You're not getting a call centre or a different technician each visit. You call the number, and I'm the one who turns up and does the work. I've been doing this for over 10 years, across all sorts of houses and situations.

I'll give you an honest picture. If you've got termites, I'll tell you what's there and what it'll take to sort it. If it turns out to be nothing, and sometimes it is, I'll tell you that too, and I won't sell you a treatment you don't need.

The thermal camera and moisture meter come on every visit, not as a paid extra. And you get your inspection report on-site, before I leave, so you're not waiting days to find out what's happening in your own house.

What clients say

“Over the phone Nick was able to walk me through typical termite infestations and what it might look like.”

“Really helpful over the phone when I was asking for advice, didn't push me to use their services. Very knowledgeable.”

Common questions

How much does termite treatment cost?
Most chemical barrier and baiting systems on a Sydney home come in at around $5,000, depending on the size of the house and access. You get a written, itemised quote before anything starts. What moves the price: the length of the perimeter, whether it's a slab or a house with a subfloor, how much concrete needs drilling, how far the termites have spread, and which system suits the property. I inspect first, so the quote is for what's actually there.

What actually kills the termites?
With a chemical barrier, it's Termidor in the soil. The termites can't detect it, so they cross it, pick it up and carry it back to the nest, which takes out the colony over time. With baiting, the bait does the same job a different way: the termites carry it back to the colony and it stops them breeding and moulting until the colony collapses. Both go after the whole colony, not just the termites you can see.

What is termite control?
It's the same job as termite treatment: finding the colony and dealing with it, then checking the property each year so a new one doesn't get established unnoticed. I do both, inspection and treatment, myself.

Why not just spray the termites I can find?
Spraying the ones you can see, or knocking into the nest, usually makes things worse. The colony senses the disturbance and splits, then sets up somewhere else in the house where you can't see it. The proper treatments work because the termites carry them back to the colony themselves. That's why I map the activity first and treat it properly instead of reaching for a can of spray.

Do bait stations actually work?
Yes, when they're installed and serviced properly. The servicing is the key part. The stations have to be checked and topped up on a regular cycle so the colony keeps feeding until it's gone. Baiting is a good fit where trenching isn't practical, like properties with established gardens or tight access.

How long until the termites are gone?
A chemical barrier goes in over a day or so, depending on the property. Baiting works more gradually, with the colony declining over weeks to months as the termites keep taking the bait back. I'll tell you what to expect for your situation when I quote it.

Do I need an inspection first?
Yes. I inspect before I quote, so the treatment is for what's actually there.

Related reading: Termite Management Plans explained, subterranean vs drywood termites in Sydney and how to get rid of termites.