Termite control
Termite control in Auckland, starting with what the insect actually is
A termite call usually starts with a scatter of winged insects on a windowsill on a warm evening in late summer, or with a screwdriver that sinks too easily into a piece of timber under the house. What the insect turns out to be decides everything that follows. Flying ants are an ant job, borer is a timber job, and termites, if that is what they are, raise a second question straight away, which is whether they belong in New Zealand at all.
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Monday to Friday 7.30am–6pm, Saturday 8am–2pm. Urgent wasp work is prioritised.
Termites in Auckland, in brief
A good share of the termites Aucklanders report are really flying ants or borer, so we identify before anything else. New Zealand does have termites, three native species and three established Australian ones, and they live mainly in dead, dry or decaying wood. A suspected exotic termite is a different matter: leave it undisturbed and report it to MPI on 0800 80 99 66, because MPI, not a private operator, deals with it.
We are careful with the word here for a reason. The termites that eat houses in Australia and the United States are not established in New Zealand, a find of one becomes a biosecurity response run by the Ministry for Primary Industries, and the law sets out who deals with it. So our first job is identification, and sometimes the right result of an inspection is a phone call to MPI rather than a treatment, which we will tell you plainly.
Which termites live in New Zealand, and which ones get reported instead of treated
Three termites are native: the New Zealand drywood termite (Kalotermes brouni) together with the wetwood pair Stolotermes ruficeps and S. inopinus. Three Australian species have also settled here, Kalotermes banksiae, Glyptotermes brevicornis and Porotermes adamsoni, none of them a significant pest. The species that damage buildings, the Australian subterranean termites and the West Indian drywood termite, are not established, and official programmes eradicate them whenever they are found.
The native drywood termite nests in dead, sound wood: fallen trees, dead branches, fence posts, old poles and construction timber that was never treated with a preservative. The wetwood termites need moist, partly decayed wood, and the Scion leaflet on them records attacks on timber in use only where it was damp. Of the settled Australians, Glyptotermes brevicornis was first found in Auckland in March 1977 and has been recorded damaging a building just once, a rimu architrave, sill and skirting board in 1988.
The exotic finds are why we handle every termite call with care. Australian subterranean termites, Coptotermes acinaciformis, were detected and eradicated at a run of Auckland sites between 2007 and 2014, among them Omaha, Coatesville, Drury, Māngere and Pukekohe, and the West Indian drywood termite has turned up in imported furniture and, in 2025, in the wooden fittings of a yacht at an Auckland marina. We have described which termites are in New Zealand species by species.
Native termites in your timber: what we actually do about them
Once a native species is confirmed, the work is about the timber rather than a spray. We survey how far the galleries run before anything is touched, a builder replaces timber that has been weakened, lightly damaged timber can be treated where it stands, and with wetwood termites the leak or ground contact that made the wood damp is put right, because those termites depend on damp, decaying wood and go when it dries out or is removed.
Drywood damage needs a careful survey because it hides well. The Scion leaflet on the native drywood termite points out that its exit holes are few and inconspicuous, so damage can go unnoticed until the timber is seriously weakened, and that building timbers are slender enough for even small nests to leave weak spots. It also notes that the same dry conditions suit two-toothed longhorn and common house borer larvae, so termites are rarely the only thing at work in a damaged piece.
That overlap is why a termite inspection is also a borer inspection, and why the methods are close relatives. Where we find borer alongside native termites, the same visit covers both, and our page on borer treatment explains how bare and finished timber are handled differently. Over the longer term, treated framing is the answer: Scion's advice is that damage to new buildings is best prevented by using preservative-treated timber consistently.
Suspected exotic termites: what we will not do, and what you should do instead
We do not spray, bait, fumigate or remove a suspected exotic termite infestation, and nobody should do so privately. Some exotic termites are notifiable organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993, which obliges anyone who suspects one to report it. If you suspect exotic termites, do not spray them, do not disturb them, and do not move the timber or furniture. Photograph them, note the exact location, and call MPI on 0800 80 99 66.
Drywood termites are the hard case. The exotic drywood species, the West Indian drywood termite and the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor, which MPI reports finding on boats from overseas, look much like our native one, and Scion tells drywood species apart by the heads and jaws of their soldiers rather than by pellets or wings. So any drywood termite activity in building timber, imported furniture or boat timber is reported to MPI first, and we only work on it once it has been confirmed as a native species.
What we do instead is identify what we can, write down what we found and where, help you make the report, and make ourselves available if MPI's staff want to see what we saw. For subterranean termites, Hawke's Bay Regional Council describes MPI's approach as monitored bait stations until the colony is judged dead, then surveillance until five years pass with no activity, including surveys of properties within up to 500 m. What a response means for your property is for MPI to explain.
Identification
The termites found in New Zealand, and what happens next
| Termite | Status here | Where it lives | What happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ drywood termite, Kalotermes brouni | Native | Dead, dry, sound wood: dead branches, logs, poles, untreated building timber | In building timber, reported to MPI first; once confirmed native, the timber is surveyed and treated or replaced |
| NZ wetwood termites, Stolotermes species | Native | Moist, decaying wood: stumps, logs, rotting timber beside a leak | The decayed wood is removed and the moisture fixed |
| Australian drywood and dampwood termites already settled here | Introduced, minor | Mainly coastal driftwood, logs and dead parts of trees; rarely buildings | Reported to MPI and identified before anything is done |
| Australian subterranean, West Indian drywood and western drywood termites | Exotic, notifiable or under MPI response | Imported timber, poles and furniture, boats from overseas; earthen tubes on foundations | Left undisturbed and reported to MPI on 0800 80 99 66 |
How we do it
How a termite call runs, from identification to written findings
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We identify it from the insect, the pellets or a photograph
Termite, flying ant or borer, and if it is a termite, whether it is native or could be exotic.
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If it could be exotic, we stop and MPI is called
Nothing is sprayed and nothing is moved. We photograph it, record the location and call 0800 80 99 66 with you.
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We map the damage before anything is touched
How far the galleries run, and whether the affected timber is structural.
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Native activity is dealt with in the timber
Lightly damaged timber treated, weakened timber replaced through a builder, and the moisture that drew wetwood termites fixed.
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You get the findings in writing
What we found, where, and what was reported, in a form that also serves a house sale or an insurer.
Cost
What a termite inspection costs in Auckland
| Job | What it covers | Indicative |
|---|---|---|
| Timber pest inspection, borer and termites | Including pre-purchase checks | $250 – $350 |
| Native termite activity in timber | Extent survey, treatment or replacement of affected timber, moisture correction | quoted after inspection |
Prices include GST. See the full pricing page for what moves a job within its range.
Questions
Termite control questions
How much does a termite inspection cost in Auckland?
A timber pest inspection, which covers both borer and termites and includes pre-purchase checks, is $250 to $350 for a typical house. Work on native termites in timber is quoted after that inspection, because it depends on how far the damage runs and whether a builder is needed. A suspected exotic termite is not something we quote for at all: it is reported to MPI and handled through MPI's response.
Is a termite infestation likely in an Auckland house?
A structural one is unlikely. Native termites live mainly in dead or damp wood, more often outdoors than in, and the Australian species that have settled here are rarely found in buildings. Exotic termites do arrive, and Auckland has had several subterranean finds and a drywood find on a yacht, but each has been dealt with by an official response. In our experience the insect behind a termite call is usually a flying ant, and the damage usually borer.
Can I get rid of termites myself?
Only in the simplest case. Wetwood termites in a rotting stump, a heap of old timber or a damp sleeper go when that wood is removed or dries out, and nothing needs spraying. Anything in the house is different: do not spray before it has been identified, because spraying a suspected exotic colony disturbs it and works against MPI's response, and the law may require you to report it. We do not give product advice for termites.
Will termites die out if I leave them?
Wetwood termites do, once the damp, decaying wood they live in is removed or dries. The native drywood termite does not: the Scion leaflet describes a colony's life as "limited only by the availability of sound, dry wood", so it carries on in a dead branch or an untreated board for as long as the wood lasts. With a suspected exotic termite, never wait to see what happens. Report it to MPI.
What smell do termites hate, and do home remedies work?
We know of no smell or home remedy shown to keep termites out of a New Zealand house. Oils and powders sold as repellents have little evidence behind them, and for a suspected exotic colony any home treatment is the wrong first step, because it disturbs insects that MPI needs to find. What actually protects timber is keeping it dry and building with preservative-treated framing, which is Scion's recommendation for new buildings.
Will a termite inspection pick up borer as well?
Yes, and it has to, because the evidence overlaps: holes, dust or pellets, and timber that feels soft. In older Auckland houses borer is, in our experience, by far the more common finding, and a timber pest inspection reports on both, naming the beetle or termite and saying whether it looks active. We have set out how to tell borer or termites apart from the dust and the holes.
What happens after I report termites to MPI?
From that point MPI decides what happens. It will want the insects identified, and if they prove to be exotic it runs the response, which for subterranean termites means baiting and then several years of monitoring. How that affects your property, how long it takes and whether anything falls to you are questions for MPI rather than for us. We are glad to meet MPI's staff on site and show them what we found.
Related
Related treatments
Borer Treatment
Most borer holes in an Auckland house are older than the people living in it.
Read about it AntsAnt Control
The two ant species that cause most Auckland problems, the Argentine ant and the white-footed house ant, both form very large colonies with many queens and many nests.
Read about it CockroachesCockroach Control
The species decides the treatment.
Read about itDealing with termites?
Describe what you have seen, or send a photograph. We will tell you what it is and what it needs before anyone visits.