Advanced Pest Control

My experience with Advanced Pest Control in Newcastle was stressful and upsetting and a complete waste of my time and energy. After recently reading the National Standards on Termite Management(AEPMA) and the flow chart on page 70, none of these steps were followed by Advanced Pest Control.

My builder discovered significant termite damage to structural beams in my house, and contacted Advanced Pest Control. They came quickly and observed active termites present, returned in the next couple of days to treat the termites with dusting, conducted a cursory quick check 2 weeks later and a "full termite inspection"(this also was brief and cursory) occurred 2 weeks after this. This only occurred 2 weeks later at my insistence as they were busy. The full termite inspection took around 40 minutes for a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom house and the report was brief and unhelpful. The report mentioned active termites and was mostly prerefilled to emphasise that they take no responsibility for anything.

They claimed no active termites were present in these two checks following treatment. I made numerous attempts to communicate and find out more about the process of termite inspections and treatment and my messages were left unanswered. No proposal for future termite prevention was provided as part of this report.

I now understand that a full inspection should have been the first step, then a treatment proposal that I agreed to in writing. Then treatment(should have been baiting not dusting) and thorough checking over time. And a proposal for future termite protection.

The termite inspector was clearly in a hurry to get in and out, and didn't check some structures outside until I pointed them out. His checks were cursory and brief and he was in a terrible mood when he arrived. The communication between the office and the inspector was terrible, clearly some relationship difficulties. I was booked in for an inspection 3 times, first time quick look and dusting occurred, second time I had in writing a full inspection was occurring and the inspector came for a 10 min check following dusting. 3rd time I received a phone call to say inspector wasn't coming, which was a miscommunication and he then turned up.

Ultimately I got another inspection from a different pest control company 2 weeks later as I lacked confidence in what had occurred. They discovered active termites in the same places that were dusted and this inspection was thorough and the company took the time to explain everything. They followed the process I have now read about. I was devastated and very surprised that I still had active termites, after being assured that I didn't.

Advanced Pest Control refunded in full my inspection and cost of termite dusting and apologised. I requested the refunds.

6 weeks later I am starting again with another company.

Finding active termites and significant structural damage is stressful enough, but Advanced Pest Control made it much more stressful, impossible to communicate with and did not follow any steps in the national standards. And I still have active termites. My tears of frustration and feedback were heard by the managers there, and they visited again to provide a proposal for future preventative treatment. I wouldn't go near this business. Unprofessional, non communicative and not skilled or thorough in termite management.

I could have made a fatal error if I trusted their assurance of no active termites present, commenced the structural rebuilding, only to find that the active termites would have continued to destroy my house. Unbelievable from start to finish!