ELORA – Talk about opening a can of worms.
Maria Christina O’Neill would likely prefer a can of worms to the home full of termites she unwittingly bought in Elora in 2020.
“At the time, no one disclosed that there were termites in the area or on the property,” she said in a phone interview.
“We had quite the surprise the next spring.”
She called a pest control company that found termites outside the home. The property was treated, and O’Neill was told it should last about five years. The company told her to budget about $1,000 a year for subsequent treatments.
But when she renovated the interior, termites were found there, too. So they treated inside.
Then they found termites outside again. Then inside again. And each time she and her husband paid for termite treatments.
“Then this summer, it happened again,” O’Neill said. “I feel I’m wasting money, burning money, and it’s not helping.
“This is not just a homeowner problem, it’s a township problem. The township has set aside money in the budget for termites. Let’s get on with it.”
Out of frustration, O’Neill has started a Facebook group, the Elora/Fergus Termite Action Group, hoping to form a group of similarly affected residents to discuss ways to attack termites together.
There are about 150 members, and membership is growing, she said.
O’Neill has been researching termites and learned two companies in Canada have been approved to use a product called Sentricon, which has promising results.
Sentricon is essentially a bait system with the active ingredient noviflumuron, which termites eat and share with the colony. It prevents termites from maturing and eventually they all die, including the queen.
O’Neill arranged for the two Canadian companies authorized to use the product – Orkin and Aetna – to come to Centre Wellington and meet with homeowners who wanted to learn more.
O’Neill is also trying to set up action – things the community can do to help, such as dead wood collection.
“There’s also not a bylaw requiring homeowners to disclose if they have termites” when they sell their home, O’Neill said. “A regular home inspection doesn’t cover termites.”
The township has been exploring a termite management program for years after an assessment in 2020 revealed about 500 homes in Elora and Fergus either have termites or are in a zone next to termites and under threat of infestation.
The township has set aside some funds in the budget for a program but has had trouble finding a vendor able to take on the job.
Township spokesperson Kendra Martin stated in an email the matter will return to council sometime in September.
“The township doesn’t have a plan in place,” O’Neill said. “The longer they wait, the longer it will take to be fixed.”
She said there are things the township can do apart from a termite management program to help homeowners struggling with the issue, such as allowing free and proper disposal of infected wood, and passing a bylaw requiring disclosure of termites upon sale of a home.
She’s learning how to delegate to council to emphasize that the problem – far from isolated – will become more widespread if a collective approach is not taken.
“Sympathy doesn’t do anything for me,” she said.
“The township should be taking down barriers, not building them up.”
