Do termites come from my neighbour?

Where do termites come from? Termites (also known as ‘white ants’) can travel upwards and horizontally. They build mud tubes to engage in their termite activity and food sourcing in the ground and allow them to travel up and down the tube.

Termites form colony that is established in the soil, and most landed homes are now built in clusters or in a connected row, the risks of getting a termite infestation may be higher. If your neighbour has a history of termite infestation, are you at risk of getting a termite infestation? The answer is a resounding yes!

Termite infestation often start small and less noticeable, and in most cases they are hidden well, either underground, within structures and furniture. Unless detected by pest control professionals, termite signs are not easy to identify and recognise. For instance, drywood droppings resemble sawdust that we can mistook for cleanliness gaps. In addition, we may not pay attention to minor details such as “banging” sounds coming from the wall or the visible cracks and even mud tubes on wall and structures. Weakened stability can be identified as building degeneration or structure wear and tear. Hence, you should leave the doubts and clarification in the hands of termite control experts, that uses technology to detect presence of termite activities.

You may also like: Why are DIY termite solutions harmful?

Besides the termites’ movement and mobility in vertical and horizontal means, there are 2 important factors influencing the spread of infestation.

1. Is the termite infestation resolved and under control? Are they addressing just the surface problem with a “contact kill” localized treatment instead of resolving the root source?
2. Is the quality of treatment effective and responsive? In some treatments and solutions, the termiticide chosen are repellent form, and has compromised efficacies. For example, it may have minimum domino effect and less significant in colony elimination.

So what happens if your neighbour has a termite problem or has recently completed a termite control treatment?

1. Engage in a termite control specialist to do a thorough inspection using Microwave technology or thermal imaging to detect if your home already has termite activity or early signs of infestation.
2. Protect your home with quality and innovative termite solution. If your home is infested or already damaged by ‘white ants’, there is termite solution that halts termite feeding effectively to prevent further damage to your structure.
3. Ensure consistent and regular monitoring and inspection to identify any potential risks and activities if any. It is important to detect early and take quick corrective measures.
4. Adopt a healthy housekeeping habit and home maintenance to prevent food source to attract termites. Termites need food, water and shelter to survive. Follow the 10 things you can do to protect your home.
5. Be informed and aware of termites and their signs. How do termites look like? Where to spot them? How to tell if your home has termites? For instance, Termites have a straight waist, straight antenna, and same length of wings. They are different and should not be mistaken for ants. Most people tend to get confused between Termites and Ants.

Read also: Essential termite prevention tips

Now that you may have one of the answers to where do termites come from, what is the next step you should take to ensure your home has no termite activity? What determines an effective termite control- is it the pest control prices?

The 1^st step you should take is to request for a home inspection to identify potential signs or infestation risks.