{"id":7170,"date":"2016-10-18T06:26:40","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T22:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=7170"},"modified":"2022-07-01T04:03:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T20:03:46","slug":"termite-infestation-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/termite-infestation-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to deal with a termite infestation in your home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“Bro! Think I have a termite infestation in my house, how do you get rid of them?!” <\/span><\/p>\n

This was a call I got this past weekend from a friend freaking out over the situation. Seeing how I frequently write about topics on home buying and real estate, my friends figure I am the one to call whenever they encounter problems with their home (even at 2am on a Sunday night!). <\/span><\/p>\n

In this instance, termites were the issue. I have had multiple run ins with them over the years and have unofficially become an expert on how to deal with these pests. In this article, I will talk about the damage they\u00a0can cause, how to spot them, how to deal with an infestation and how to prevent them in the future.<\/p>\n

\"Beautiful
Beautiful isn’t it? Not so much once you have a termite infestation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So what are termites? <\/b><\/h3>\n

Often called the \u201csilent destroyer\u201d, termites are considered the most destructive pests in the world. There are over 200 different species in the world. In Singapore, termites that cause property damage are primarily of the Coptotermes species. A typical colony consists of a king, queen, soldiers, workers and alates (winged termites). The most dangerous ones are the worker termites as they form the largest numbers within the colony. The worker termites do all the work from feeding, grooming, excavating the nest and make tunnels. By doing their jobs, these worker termites can cause massive destruction to your home by eating away at everything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are they dangerous?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Despite being minuscule, termites are dangerous because they feed on wood. In other words, they can, and will, devour your home! A termite\u2019s mouth is armed with scissor like jaws and is capable of tearing pieces of wood apart. These pests work round the clock chewing and biting off small fragments of wood one piece at a time. Any structures created from wood in your home are immediately at risk if an infestation occurs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine a typical colony that houses thousands of termites in your home. The damage these notorious little insects can cause usually turns out to be extremely costly. A colony can eat up to several kilos of wood over the course of a year. Now consider the amount of wood you have in your home, it gets scary to think about how dangerous this could be over time. Your home would be slowly damaged if preventive measures are not taken quick enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

What do termites look like?<\/b><\/h3>\n

One of the problems with an infestation is that termites have the ability to go undetected in your home while slowly eating away at its structure. We reached out to our local pest infestation specialist Rentokil and they gave us some quick tips on how to spot a termite infestation. Also known as \u201cwhite ants\u201d, termites appear creamy, white to dark brown or black. They have 6 legs and a long narrow oval shaped bodies with straight antennas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How
How termites look like<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to spot termites in your home?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Termites are largely found underground or within structural platforms. They live in dark, humid and protected environments. Here are a few common signs that you have termites in your home:<\/span><\/p>\n