For the first time in recent memory, a section of Kitchener is dealing with termites.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen termites like this in the city, as far as my knowledge,” Tim Benedict, Kitchener’s manager of buildings, said Tuesday.
The termites have been found at 20 of 23 properties along Greenock and Briargate drives, in the Laurentian Hills neighbourhood.
Under the city’s termite bylaw, homeowners found to have termites are given 30 days to deal with the infestation.
Removing the termites can be both a costly process and a lengthy one, experts say.
According to Bryan Maier of Abell Pest Control, termites can spend a significant amount of time on a property before being discovered by the residents.
“The wood’s going to look completely sound, but all it takes is a screwdriver and you can physically poke it right through – they’ll have eaten everything in-between,” he said.
Even after they believe they have all the termites removed, Maier said, pest control crews will return to a home periodically to ensure nothing was missed.
All told, the initial treatment alone can cost between $2,000 and $7,000.
A group of affected Laurentian Hills residents took their case to councillors Monday, asking for financial assistance.
Kitchener has no policy to offer that sort of assistance to individual homeowners, and Benedict said he has yet to turn up evidence of such a policy in neighbouring municipalities – although he sympathized with the affected residents.
“It’s not a cost people are expecting,” he said.
Councillors are expected to see a report on the issue in September.
