When our termite inspection teams visit our customer sites in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon , we sometime encounter common termite myths that tends to cause barrier between us and our customers. Here we try to dispel some of the common termite myths and put across some facts about termites.
MYTH: Termites only exit to destroy our houses and property.
Fact: Termites help the environment recycle dead and decaying forest wood by breaking it down and turning it into soil. It decomposes the dead and rotten leaves, fruits, flowers, branches etc. and restore the fertility of the soil
MYTH: Once trees are felled and removed to allow for new structural development, termites are removed along with them.
Fact: Subterranean termites nest in soil and are not removed with the trees. Their colony remains well established in the soil waiting for the new food source. They quickly look for new sources because their food was taken away, which includes wood for the new structures being built. This is one reason why the pretreatment of new structures and constructions is important. Simply uprooting a termite infested tree from a construction site does not necessarily eradicates the Sub terranean termites colony in the soil.
MYTH: A brick house built on concrete slab or RCC foundation is termite-proof.
Fact: There is common misunderstanding about termites that they can attack houses with RCC foundations and concrete slabs. Termites will find a way to get to the wood, no matter what separated it from the soil.In their quest for food and cellulose they can penetrate of the construction materials, be it concrete or RCC .Moreover a concrete slab does not always prevent wood and earth contact, and termites can tunnel through tiny cracks in the concrete. They have number of pathways to enter into a building like, tiny cracks and creavices in the structure, masonary gaps at the time of construction, electric conduit pipes, sanitary inlet and outlets, lift wells and shaft areas and other utility areas in the building.
MYTH: A new house applied with Pre construction anti termite treatment can’t get termites.
Fact: Chemical Barriers applied during pretreatment of new constructions can break and wither away with time. New homes are just as susceptible to termite infestations as older ones and require annual inspections and treatments. Therefore one should always get his property annualy checked against termite envasion specially during Post -monsoon season when sub terranean termites are most active almost in entire India .
MYTH : If the ground floor of any building is treated all upper floors are safe from termite
envasion.
Fact: The fact is that once the house is constructed and termite envasion has taken place, then every floor needs to be protected individually. Termites are known for their hidden infestation and can escape even a most keen eye of a professional Termite inspector. They can travel behind the wall plaster, behind the tiles, through false ceilings and other inaccessible areas like crawl spaces and lofts etc.
MYTH: Teak wood is naturally immune to Termite attacks
Fact: As a matter of fact , termites attack the sapwood (outer layers that conduct water and nutrients to the tree) but not the heartwood of teak ( teak furniture is made of heartwood). If the Teak wood is treated liberally with termiticide and other wood care chemicals , it remains resistant to termites and other wood boring insects . However, if not taken care of well, then over a period of time teakwood can be affected by age, and vageries of weather and other external factors that will the wood look dull or faded from it’s colour.
A Termite Management professional should be aware of these misconceptions and educate their customers with the correct information, while also explaining to them that the confusion is common. Remember , a well informed and educated client who gets professional Termite control services can prove to be the best marketing tool for your Pest Control Company.
If you have any query or doubt with regard to termite behavior or termite infestation in your house call our inspection team for site inspection anywhere in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon or NCR region. You may call us at 9810087539 or simply login at www.cpcindia.in. We also undertake Anti microbial disinfection treatment of residential and commercial buildings against Coronavirus and other viral diseases. You can visit us at http://www.cpcindia.in/blog/coronavirus-disinfection/ for more details.
