Complete guide for termite control in Singapore

Termites in Singapore has increasingly becoming a house pest topic among homeowners because of its detrimental damages it can creates to a home. Comparing to other common home pests such as cockroaches and ants, termite infestation signs and its pests’ outlook and facts are less easy to understand and identify. Rentokil Singapore shares the complete guide for termite control in Singapore.

Complete guide agenda covers the following:

• What are termites
• Learn the different termite species
• What does termite damage looks like
• Learn the early signs of termites
• Where do termite live?
• Why do my home has termites and why it is a worrying concern
• What kind of home is at risks?
• How do you know if I have termites?
• What to do if your house has termites?
• Explore the various termite treatment options
• How much does it cost to get termite treatment
• Learn useful essential termite prevention tips

What are the different species of termites?

Termites are pests that feed on cellulose materials and items largely found in a home. For example, wood, plants, paper, card boxes and structure fibres. They are often mistaken for ants and can be identified base on 3 categories: Colour, antennae and waistband. Termites are pests that feed on cellulose materials and items largely found in a home. For example, wood, plants, paper, card boxes and structure fibres. They are often mistaken for ants and can be identified base on 3 categories: colour, antennae and waistband.

Here is a list of differentiation of termites vs white ants:

• Termites are light, white and creamy in colour. In some case, they might look translucent.
• They possess a straight antenna.
• Their waist section is thicker, and thorax at the abdomen is larger.
• The wings have same size compared to ants with one set larger than the other set.

Read more: Difference between termite and white ants

Reasons Why Termites Are Strong

Discover the different species of termites

Subterranean Termite

• Often comes in a colony comprising the workers, soldiers, nymphs and reproducers and the queen.
• Found underground, these termites have the ability to feed through wood and destroyer your home structure.
• They travel upwards and sideways, along tunnels and nests that they build. This also explains why a termite infestation can spread throughout the home.• Subterranean termites require moisture to survive.

Drywood Termite

• They live within structures and attack wood structures, panels, beams, flooring, doorframes and furniture such as cabinets.
• They feed along the grains of the wood, and build their nests within.• Unlike subterranean termite, they do not require soil moisture for survival.
• Drywood termite do not require contact with soil, and their swarmer may enter and fly directly to the wood source.

Termite Colony and Life Cycle

What does termite damage looks like?

Homeowners are worried and scared of termites with its architecturally damaging capability. Because of its spread and fast destroying nature, it is crucial to learn how to identify what are the early signs of termites. This can help to minimise the damage and impact cause to your home.

Here is a list of summary on signs of termites

• Blisters on your flooring which you might mistook them for water damage flaws or flooring defects.
• Damaged, weakened or cracked structures, and easily could pass off as building integrity problem.
• Presence of mud tubes which is the tunnel for subterranean termites to travel along for food.
• Saw dust looking residues along the surfaces or flooring, which looks similar to housekeeping and cleanliness gaps. These in fact are the droppings of drywood termite.
• Flying termites or also known as swarmer or alates around that may look flies. They are commonly present around light sources and seen at night.

When this happens, there are termite-damage repair options to consider. The common ones are usually replacing those infested furniture and doorframes, engage in some home renovation to do a re-flooring, refabricate and construct those build-in kitchen cabinets, apply Do It Yourself (DIY) treatment for termites, and finally calling for a professional anti-termite treatment services.

Termite Signs with Mud Tubes

Why my home do have termites and why it is a worrying concern

There are four key reasons on how termites start and why homes are at risks of termite infestation.

• Presence of wood and soil. Unfortunately, this is what make up a home. Regardless you are living in a landed property or apartment; we may not escape the invasion of termite attack to our home. To make matter worse, having a connection, contact or link between the wood and home foundation, would mean allowing termites to travel from underneath the ground to above. Thus, entering your home.
• Moisture and water leaks is a number 1 pest infestation culprit. The home could have facility gaps such as leaky pipe, poor drainage that causes spills and chokes, or poor ventilation that allows moisture to build up. Read more on why moisture and water means pest infestation to a home.
• Allowing entry for these termites to a home via gaps, cracks and crevices. Just like any other pest, 1 common way of inviting to your home is leaving these points of entry unsealed. Swarmer for instance could fly in from windows door gaps, ventilator or any cracks and holes within the home.
• Bringing in untreated or infested wood furniture unknowingly. With vast retail and importing options, we tend to purchase items that may not be treated or validated as safe.

Damaged Home From Termites

How do I know if I have termites infesting my home?

Besides observing the clear signs of termite infestation and spotting physical damages in the home, we can also spot them by listening. Termites actually bang heads that creates clicking sounds from the wall. They bang their heads or shake off their body when their colony has been disturbed. This is one way of communicating to the fellow termite mates of danger signal.

Ever wonder why some people would knock or tap onto the wall? Do termite makes noise? This is to hear if there is a hollow or empty sound when tapping near the damage area or any parts of the wall. Hollow audio might mean termites have consumed the timber behind those structures– that weakens the structure and in serious causes, may cause a collapse.

How to test for termites accurately? There is an advanced technology to detect termite activities hiding behind these structures by utilising Microwave technology to scan around your home structure. Click here if you will like to sign up for a termite inspection programme.

What to do if your house has termites?

Do not fret not if you think termites have attacked your home. Firstly, do not attempt to use any sharp objects to scrap off those mud tubes grown on the wall. Secondly, avoid spraying any insecticide on the surfaces that may aggravate the infestation or adding on more moisture to the surface. Take a picture of all signs detected and avoid going near items that looked damaged or weaken for safety reasons.

Due to the lack of pest knowledge and technical-know-how, do refrain from applying termite control home- remedies. For example using orange oil to repel termites, create DIY termite trap by placing wet card-boxes for their consumption, or applying high heat that can be hazardous for a home’s safety. Call a pest control service to have these signs inspected and validated instead of getting rid of termites naturally.

Debugged our termite pest myth with orange oil here.

Using orange oil - Termite Pest Myth

Explore the various termite treatment options

What is the best way to treat termites? How to get rid of termites? There are short term with quick fix solutions, and long-term treatment and protection options.What is the best way to treat termites? How to get rid of termites? There are short term with quick fix solutions, and long-term treatment and protection options.

Spot Treatment

• These quick fix and short-term remedies deliver localised treatment.
• The danger of these treatments is the inadequate coverage of treatments and protection• Unavailability to treat the root source. • Termite signs may not be visible, and thus missing out treatments at the already-infested areas.

Enhanced Termite Protection Treatment

• Involves either drilling of termiticide around the perimeter of the home to control termite colony underneath.
• These treatments have warranty for up to 7 years. Read here to find out more on Rentokil Termite Protection Programme with 7 years warranty.
• Placing of baits strategically around the home to serve as monitoring bait and lure for termite consumption. There are options of below and above-ground baits to address physical active termite activity

Drywood Termite Treatment

• It utitlises foaming technology to inject effective termiticide into the wall at strategic areas of the infestation
• The solution has a unique mode of action, by paralysing the muscles of termites to prevent further feeding and damaging
• Treatment doesn’t drip and able to penetrate deep into the structure

How much does it cost to get a termite treatment?

There are a few considering factors in determining the cost of a termite treatment. This includes the size of the home, internal vs external, the level and spread of infestation, termite species, types of package tiers and budget preference. A spot treatment typically involves a one-time-off treatment and are usually cheap in hundreds for a few localisation points. However, a long-term termite protection largely costs in thousands because of its 5 to 7 years of effectiveness warranty. There are also premium options that could costs another 30% to 40% more due to its environmentally friendly nature with superior efficacy components. Call 6347 8138 to find out more.

We understand engaging pest management services involves monetary investment, and we have compiled a list of questions and answers relating to cost of a treatment and deciding considerations.

• Average costs of a pest control treatment
• Are you getting the right termite treatment?
• What are the questions you need to ask a termite control specialist?
• Essential facts to evaluate a good pest control company in Singapore
• Find out what pest control services usually do?

Learn useful termite prevention tips

Termites are hardworking pests who feed 24/7 off your home. They enter into your home from your neighbour, point of entry, item brought in or the structure design of your home. Hence, besides adopting treatments, it is useful to adopt some useful termite prevention tips.

• Fix cracks, gaps and crevices to deny termite entry
• Repair damaged pipes that leaks water and spills
• Clean home dry by wiping off surfaces after a shower or utensils cleaning
• For homes with courtyard or garden, clear the debris, overgrown or left-around plants and loose logs
• Keep connection and linkage away from garden mulch or wood contact to your home• Avoid recycling second hand furniture or purchase from non-credible source
• Always keep a lookout for potential termite infestation signs  - best is to engage yearly inspection
• Ideal to avoid designing too much build-in and connecting cabinets that can spread sideways and upwards

Generally, termites do not bite people as some other pests do. However, because of its ability to bite deep into your home, it is essential to take early steps in detecting pest signs early and seek termite control solutions.

Call Rentokil Pest Control at 6347 8138 for a termite control treatment today.

Topics that people also ask

Do termites go away on their own?

Unfortunately, termites do not go away on their own because of the vast availability of food source available in your home – wood, structure and furniture around. Not forgetting the moisture and water that is constantly around to allow termites to strive. Proper termite control program is necessary to control the colony in a more effective and efficient manner.

How do you get rid of drywood termites?

• Seek professional termite inspection services to identify if is drywood termite attacking your furniture
• You may replace the infested furniture or engage renovation services to remove affected panels, beams and door frames
• Drywood termite foaming treatment is available to inject active ingredient into the structure to prevent further termite damage and control termite colony.

How common are termites in a home?

Termites are common to surface in a home because of the humid environment that promotes moist, the wood materials used to construct the home, the building integrity that allows termite to enter through these holes and gaps, and presence of soil and connecting foundation to the home for termites to travel.