A flood or heavy rain can seriously upset your termite defenses.

If you rely on soil chemical barriers around or under your home, these can be buried by silt and debris making a bridge for the termites.  The chemicals can also be washed out, so when the water goes away, check and organise a termite inspection a few weeks later.

Water that gets into your house (but not out again) tends to soak into timbers.  Termites love to eat timber that's damp.  Fungi (rot) also has a better time and wood that's partly rotted by fungi is often tastier for termites.

One of the horrors of science is that sometimes you have to let go of things that are comfortable, familiar and seem right but are then found to be not the best fit for the evidence.  I can't count the number of updated names of plants and animals that I've had to re-learn, but this one is a big one.

OK, so you've found termites.  Here's a quick step guide of what to do.

Here's a quick summary of the various termite control methods:

For Dampwood termites

• Take the moisture away so that they can't live.
• Replace old, rotted wood with fresh timbers.
• Apply poisons or preservatives into the wood.
• Open up the wood and let the ants eat them.