Melbourne's relentless expansion is a major factor in the current plague of termite attacks on homes, experts say.
Last year's wet spring made for ideal conditions for termite infestation, conditions which have reportedly lead to a plague of the wood-chewing insects.
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Entomologist Dr Don Ewart gives Melbourne home owners advice on how to tackle the termite plague set to hit the state this summer.
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Termite infestation warning for Melbourne
Entomologist Dr Don Ewart gives Melbourne home owners advice on how to tackle the termite plague set to hit the state this summer.
Pest extermination specialist Rentokil has given Fairfax Media a list of Melbourne's termite hotspots.
Based on the number of active termite removal contracts in each suburb, the list points to increased white ant activity in the city's sprawling fringes.
Werribee and Mernda have topped the list, with Truganina and Hoppers Crossing coming in at equal third.
Termite expert Luke Moore believes the top three suburbs are places where "new homes being built on what was previously undisturbed termite territory".
Mr Moore says development "is causing termites to foster in an area where termite control has been unnecessary until recently".
Suburbs in the city's north-east featuring "dense bushland areas with increased population of housing", are also prone to infestations
"[These areas combine] the termites' natural habitat with an abundance of timber-built homes," Mr Moore said.
Port Melbourne is another hotspot, with areas of old housing built low to the ground and near moisture.
Termite damage to floorboards. Photo: Eamon Gallagher
The Mornington Peninsula is prone to termites, Mr Moore said, due to the "high residential population and sandy soil, giving termites easy access to an abundance of food".
As well as hotspots, there are areas of the city which are, ostensibly at least, less prone to white-anting, but some insect experts have stressed that no suburb is safe.
Homeowners are being warned to be on the look-out for termites, with our unusual weather providing the perfect breeding conditions. #7News pic.twitter.com/Vu6K4gpV79
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) January 3, 2017
Clare Bristow lives in the Kingston council area and was heavily affected by the plague of termites even though her suburb, Parkdale, is not deemed to be at risk.
Ms Bristow found hundreds of termites "all over the tiles in the living room".
"I was walking up the stairs and saw what looked like a scratch on the staircase pillar," she said.
"I rubbed it thinking it was a dirty mark, and all these flies broke the surface."
"I followed it down through the post, what looked like bubbles of paint on the post just disintegrated as I touched it with my fingers, all the flies and stuff started oozing out and that's when I realised it was termites."
From Ms Bristow's experience, all homeowners need to be prepared for termites as no home is safe, hotspot or not.
"Everyone kept saying it's not a termite area," she said.
"On the council website it says that this beachside area is not a termite-prone area but that's obviously rubbish."
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