PapiMami

Monday, September 06, 2004

Ant Attack Part 4

So now our house has been treated, let's hope the termites will be gone :)

We spent the entire Sunday cleaning our house. For the past 1 week, our house looks like a war zone, and smelled pesticides. Paper boxes were lying around in the kitchen, some were on the dining table, some on the floor. Old newspaper were everywhere. Termites-eaten cabinets were outside in the lawn, with some wet, terrmites-ridden boxes out in the car porch.

So the entire Sunday was spent cleaning the entire house, from top to bottom. At then end of the day, Mami was complaining of backache, and I was walking with a limp. My legs were aching due to excessive running up and down the house. By the end of the day, our house began to look like our house. Ah...home sweet home.

So what did we learn from this episode? A lot. And we want to share with you all:
1. Always have some space between your wood cabinet and the wall, so that you can peek between the gap and see any termites activity. Early detection is important.

2. Always look out for unsual wood dust or sand. It could mean termites are building tunnels and eating through your cabinet.

3. In a very quiet area, you can actually hear termites consuming woods (if your house is infected). One day, Mami was in the toilet...errr...doing her business ...he hehe when she heard sounds like termites eating thru wood. True enough, that night when we checked, the toilet roof has already been infected by termites.

4. I was told that adult termites are called swarmers (the reproductive termites). This is what the chinese called "sui ngai" (Cantonese meaning water ants). These winged termites normally came out after rain and likes to swamp around lights.


5. When your house is infected, try not to disturb the colony. Get help from a pest control company as soon as possible. They will have to look at the colony and analyse the damage.

6. I know it is neat, clean and economical to put your old stuff in paper boxes aka Double A A4 paper boxes, or that old printer box, but it is a defintely no-no. Termites love paper boxes.

7. Termites normally come up from the ground and out from the side of the walls. They follow piping, cabling or any holes they can find inside the walls. And of course, they are attracted to wood. So do take note of these.

8. If you could afford soil treatment before renovating your house, do it. That way, you will have a peace of mind, and your house will look better without holes around the parameter. Do shop around, different companies will have different services, different maintenance and different pricing.

9. Also if you decided to have soil/termites treatment, pls do let your neighbour know. Because the termites will be very likely to move to your neighbour house. Like what happen to my colleague. Both of her immediate neighbours (left and right) were treated for termites, so the termites have no choice but to go to her house!

So house-owners beware!!

Picture Source: Ohio State University-Entomology-Termite Control