Category Archives: pest control

Moth vs Me: The final straw

termite control DandenongI’d just binned the fourth moth-eaten garment from my wardrobe in just a few weeks. I was fed up and contemplating a move when I remembered that my neighbour had made a recommendation for a  pest control company in Mornington.  I may sounds like I’m overreacting but it’s not like they’d eaten just any old woollen coat. I’m an antique clothing collector and dealer, and they ate right through the most incredible beaded head dress from a stage production my grandmother was in in the 1930s. This means war.

I have always had to be careful in my house, it was  susceptible to bugs as lots of the old houses in our street are, and like them, we had to resort to termite control. Dandenong has some wonderful living to offer, but the house I fell in love with was old, and somewhat compromised and nevertheless I took the risk and moved in knowing full well that moths and termites and rising damp could be my new enemies.

I’ve lost some incredible garments to silverfish and moths, so I guess getting onto pest control was something I’d been putting off because I desperately didn’t want to have to leave my house or move all my garments for a long period of time. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the treatment could be done in a day, and I made doubly sure to protect my important stuff in plastic bags.

I’ve recently purchased some really special pieces, and I’m desperate to keep them in great condition until the next auction comes up. I guess the curse of loving old things is that you have to love what comes with them, dust, fluff and the decorations of old age.

I won’t quit collecting because it’s such a huge art of my life- but at least now I don’t feel like my work is disappearing as soon as I find it. I love preserving these special pieces!

Old buildings in dire need of pest inspections

termite treatmentsThere’s an abandoned warehouse just down the road from me that I’m interested in buying. No big deal. I discovered it the other day when I was searching for a place to get some milk. In fact, it towers over the landscape so I’m not exactly sure why I haven’t seen it before. It’s old, and derelict, and in need of some care. Okay, a lot of care. And sure, yes, I know I promised myself that I wouldn’t do this kind of thing anymore, but I had to go and take a look. For old time’s sake.

I fancied myself a full-fledged pest inspector back in the day. Sure, you actually need qualifications for that sort of thing, but that didn’t matter to me. I thought my extensive experience would be enough to know what to look for during a termite inspection. Mornington for some reason has the perfect climate for termites to thrive. I’d plumbed around plenty of old warehouses, factories, even mansions. Even the mansion. Still makes me shudder. But you get my point, I thought because I walked around old places a few times, I was at the top of my game. Right up there with the best ! I was indestructible.

I was delusional. The factory I spent so long renovating was knocked down after some real property inspectors took a look and decided that it wasn’t fit to be left standing. They wrote a damning building defect report. Melbourne has strict rules when it comes to buildings. Yeah, a bit gutting. Still, I think it was the right decision. In hindsight, probably. Now I focus my energy on worthwhile things, like my very sweet sort-of girlfriend. Except…well, just this once, the warehouse and it’s termites were calling to me. You know what they say about old habits, and it was just so…derelict. Derelict is my favourite way for things to be, because it means boundless promise. So one more time, I got in touch with a company for a quote on termite treatments. Mornington isn’t exactly the cheapest place in Australia for property, but termite damage can lower prices significantly. In the end I thought it was worth a look. As I thought, the cost would be astronomical. Still, I did a few calculations and made up my mind. I’m going to take the place, termites and all. I can look past the damage and see the potential.