Sydney home suffers rare termite infestation
Daily Telegraph November 27, 2009
A Sydney home will be sealed in a giant tent and fumigated following the discovery of a highly destructive termite, rarely found in Australia.
The Ramsgate house has been damaged by the West Indian Drywood termite, and the state government is to pay $60,000 for the fumigation.
The pest is difficult to spot, but can be identified by droppings that fall through tiny holes in wood.
Matt Grange and his partner Jean Piggins discovered their dream three-bedroom, almost century-old Federation cottage - which they bought six years ago - was infested when they began redecorating.
"I was stripping the wooden wall panels and almost put my fist through the wood," Mr Grange, 35, a painter and decorator, said. He added that the house was apparently infested when a previous owner had hung a painting with a wooden frame from Brazil.