ELORA – Councillor Kirk McElwain has made a motion to address the termite problem in Centre Wellington.
“There is considerable termite activity in a growing number of locations in Elora and Fergus,” McElwain wrote in his motion.
“Homeowners who have termite activity in their home are forced to pay thousands of dollars every few years to avoid further termite damage.”
Council approved a staff recommendation to withdraw from home inspections for termites, McElwain said. Council also chose to repeal a termite control bylaw and incorporate pest control regulations into the property standards bylaw.
McElwain said the only option for homeowners with termites is to hire pest control companies that don’t kill the termites. “In fact, they result in the termites spreading to untreated homes,” McElwain said.
He is suggesting council direct staff to contact Dr. Timothy Myles, owner of Termite Research Services Inc., and consider hiring him and his team to address the situation.
Myles “has had considerable success, through years of research and experimentation in Guelph, with suppressive treatments (that) involve spring and fall nematode treatments and/or baiting, resulting in significant and steady decline in termite activity,” McElwain stated in his motion.
He also asked that council direct staff to use the surplus from the 2019 budget to fund termite control activity in 2020.
The notice of motion will be discussed at a future meeting.
