Termites are wreaking havoc on Central's commercial and residential areas, causing some property owners tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
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A pest expert said termites primarily feed on wood and can cause significant damage to the structure of buildings if left untreated.
The developer and director of Damasa, Manuel Donebus, said termites have cost him almost $100,000 in repairs at two stores on Baylis Street.
Mr Donebus said he found termite damage about 12 months ago at his vacant shopfront located at 212 Baylis Street, which was a former tattoo parlour.
"We treated them about 12 months ago and because we had tenants in place it was very hard to do remediation work, but now that it's vacant we jumped in and found the nest and have started the remediation," he said.
"There was damage to the wall linings, to the stair treads as well as a bit of floor damage and it was reasonably expensive.
"Damage was probably around the $10,000 mark."
However, Mr Donebus said termites caused significant structural damage to his shopfront located closer to the Sturt Mall.
"We own another building further down and had to do some serious work on the roof trusses," he said.
"There was a lot of work involved so it cost substantially more at about $70,000 to $80,000."
Pest expert Glenn Lawson, from Kooringal Pest Control, said there are two major causes for termites in Central.
"It's not just the main street but across Central Wagga particularly with the older structures, as back in the day they weren't termite-proof as they are now," Mr Lawson said.
"These older buildings have suspended timber floors with no capping and they weren't chemically treated and if they were concrete it wasn't compulsory to treat.
"The larger, older trees are also a bit of the cause too as they hold a few termite nests and older homes where down pipes weren't connected to the storm water meant termites were attracted to the houses."
Mr Lawson said these factors have meant that residences and shops along the main street are always resulting in problems, but recently the number is decreasing.
"Years ago, termites caused issues from the southern end of Wagga at Wooden Street right through to North Wagga," he said.
"In the past five years it's getting better and now there's just little areas, with Central being the worst."
Mr Lawson advised people to organise an annual pest inspection for their properties instead of leaving it until a problem arises.
"People should get a visual inspection once a year instead of leaving it a few years which can lead to structural damage," he said.
"Treating this like an inspection on the car, it's just keeping on top of it which will save money in the future.
"It will all depend on the timber that is used in the building construction but cypress pine and hardwood timbers are quite resistant to termites."
Mr Donebus said termites and their prevalence on the main street would not deter future purchases, despite the costly repairs to his properties.
"It's just a case of doing an investigation and making sure the premises you buy are termite-free and always knowing that with the prevalence it could result in an issue down the track," he said.
"Building materials are also really important, like steering away from soft timbers which termites particularly enjoy."
Wagga City Council manager of parks and strategic operations Henry Pavitt said council conducts tree inspections and responds to customer requests in regards to termites.
"Council's tree crew and council-preferred contractors undertake works programs and treat termites with a suitable pesticide, which is sprayed or drenched into cavities or auger holes," Mr Pavitt said.
"Over-mature white cedars and silky oaks trees in Central Wagga are the trees most susceptible to termites.
"The underground type are able to cause the most damage as they can travel approximately 700 metres underground, with Central Wagga's alluvial soil easy for the termites to move through."
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