Found termites? Here's what to do right now
First: don't spray them, don't break open the workings, and don't touch the mud leads. Household fly spray kills a few hundred workers and warns the colony, which promptly seals off that route and quietly opens another one somewhere you can't see. Leave everything exactly as you found it, take a photo if you like, and call 1300 000 000. We treat active termite infestations across Bundaberg with same-week response — and the less disturbed the termites are, the faster and cheaper the treatment.
Termites are never a wait-and-see problem. A single Coptotermes colony can contain over a million individuals feeding 24 hours a day, and repair costs for established infestations commonly start around $10,000 — none of it covered by home insurance. The difference between a minor treatment and a major rebuild is usually just time.
How we treat active termites
There's no honest one-size-fits-all answer; the right method depends on the species, where they're feeding, how they got in, and your home's construction. Every treatment starts with a thorough termite inspection Bundaberg homeowners can trust to map the activity — you can't treat what you haven't found. From there:
Termite dusting. A fine insecticidal dust applied directly into active workings in small quantities. Foraging termites carry it back through the galleries and transfer it to nestmates through grooming and feeding. Done properly — minimal disturbance, correct placement — dusting can knock out the colony connected to your home. It's a skill job: over-application or clumsy access ruins it.
Termite foaming. An expanding foam termiticide injected into wall cavities, damaged timbers and concealed galleries where dust won't reach. The foam pushes through the workings, coating surfaces the termites must travel over. Excellent for slab homes in Avoca, Kepnock and Branyan where activity is inside wall cavities with no subfloor access.
Direct nest treatment. Where we can locate the nest itself — in a tree, stump, or subfloor mound — treating it directly is the fastest kill. Our inspectors check likely nest sites within the grounds as part of treatment planning.
Baiting programs. Where dust and foam access is poor, or colony elimination needs to be verified, we install an intensive baiting program: above-ground stations on active workings plus in-ground stations around the property. Slower, but highly effective and very low-toxicity for the household.
Modern treatments use non-repellent chemistry — termites can't detect it, so they keep working through treated zones and spread the effect through the colony. That's a fundamental improvement over old repellent chemicals, which just pushed termites sideways into a different part of the house.
Killing the colony isn't the finish line
Here's what a lot of operators won't tell you upfront: treating the termites in your wall solves this attack, not the next one. Bundaberg sits in high-hazard termite country — warm, humid, coastal, with CSIRO research indicating one in three Australian homes will see termite activity. If a colony found your home once, the conditions that attracted it are still there.
A complete treatment plan finishes with ongoing protection: a chemical soil barrier installed to AS 3660.2, a monitored baiting system, or at minimum a documented annual inspection schedule plus fixing the conducive conditions we identify — moisture, timber-to-ground contact, gardens over the slab edge. We'll lay out the options and costs in writing and let you choose; no pressure, no bundled mystery pricing.
Drywood termites are a different job entirely
If the "termites" you've found left little piles of gritty pellets below clean, unmudded timber, you may be dealing with West Indian drywood termites — established in Bundaberg and treated completely differently. Soil treatments and standard dusting don't fix drywood colonies living entirely inside the timber; severe cases require whole-of-structure fumigation by licensed specialists. We identify the species before any treatment is quoted. Details on our drywood termite inspections page.
Service area
Same-week termite treatment across Bundaberg, Bargara, Avoca, Kepnock, Norville, Walkervale, Svensson Heights, Millbank, Thabeban, Branyan, Kalkie, Innes Park, Burnett Heads, Moore Park Beach and surrounds.
Live termites don't wait — call 1300 000 000 now for same-week treatment and the follow-up Bundaberg termite inspection your home needs.