Termites are a group of insect that mostly feed on dead plant materials, with the ability to digest cellulose. Subterranean termites, the most destructive wooden pest in the world, build their colonies in the soil and usually work their way above ground to reach wood or any other cellulose source. In search for food, subterranean termites will forage into homes from below the ground level right up to the highest point of the roof thrust. Over time, termite damage can become significant on door frames, kitchen cabinets, staircase and wooden flooring.
The basic castes in a colony are queens, kings, workers, soldiers and Alates.
Termite Queen & King - Giving life to the colony
The function of the Queen and King in the termite colony is to reproduce. Starting out life as an Alate, they leave their parents' colony, drop to the ground and shed their wings to seek out an environment to nest. They care for their young until they are able to take over the duties of the colony.
The workers make up the largest number within a colony. They do all of the work (except defend and reproduce): feeding, grooming, excavating the nest and making tunnels. In doing their jobs, they cause the destruction that effects so many homes.
Soldiers defend the colony against attack by predatory enemies such as ants, and are equipped with large jaws, sticky fluids or chemical spray to do so.
Alates are the winged reproductives that swarm out from the nest and establish new colonies. Male and females pair off and look for a suitable environment to mate. They are often confused with ant swarmers.
• Mud tubes on wall - Subterranean termites build shelter tubes made of mud, dirt and debris in order to travel to and fro the food source without being seen. These tubes are about the size of a coin and are usually found on exterior and interior walls leading up to the entry points of the building.
• Sightings of termite swarmer’s (flying termites) or discarded wings – Usually the first sign of infestation noticed by property owners are the presence of swarmers or alates. Another common indication is the remnants of discarded wings on windowsills and floors. While they may quickly disappear after they found their mating partner, the identical and disembodied wings are sure signs of an indoor termite swarm.
• Papery or hollow sounding timber - Termites usually consume woods from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or paint. So when you knock or tap on an area that has termite damages, it will sound hollow or papery due to parts (or all) of the timber having been eaten away.
• Tight fitting door or hard to open window - As termites devour timber, their excrement or ‘mud’ creates a protective environment that traps heat and moisture. This causes timber to swell, making it harder to open or close the infested windows and doors.
• Tunnels in the wood - Also known as 'galleries' which are quite difficult to see from the outside.
• Termite droppings - After consuming wood, dry wood termites often leave behind brown-coloured and grainy faecal mounds. These faecal pellets are usually found beneath the infested wood.
Termite infestation can lead to costly repairs and mounting frustration if it remains untreated. If you find signs of termite activities in your premises, you may want someone experienced and professionally trained to quickly restore your sense of comfort and safety. In order to provide our customers with effective termite control solutions, our service technicians are periodically provided with continuous training programs to ensure that their pest knowledge is up-to-date.
MASA uses liquid termiticide in its post construction treatment. The termiticide treatment creates a treated zone around the perimeter of your premises by injecting termiticide into the ground to form a barrier between the soil and building structure.
The termiticide can be applied under a concrete floor or around the foundations of the building. As termite workers tunnel through treated zones in search of food, they are exposed to the termiticide. The termiticide is not only ingested, but also adheres to their bodies. The affected termites then spread the active ingredient to other termites through physical contact, eventually reducing the population of the colony.
By directly treating the soil beneath the structure, MASA practices vertical drilling (or drilling at 90 degree) to the ground against the conventional practice of skirting level drilling at a 45 degree angle. The conventional treatment does not allow the termiticide to penetrate into the soil effectively and evenly. Injecting termiticide directly into the ground helps it to penetrate into the soil under, thus saturating it with termiticide and reducing the subterranean termite colonies which inhabit the soil under and around the structures.
Pre-construction termite creates a chemical barrier between the building and soil beneath that prevents termites from moving up and attacking your building. Our Technical Team conducts a survey at your site to decide various factors like feasibility of treatment, mode of treatment and so on. Our technicians will then prepare your site and treat the soil with appropriate amount of chemical to form an effective barrier which is lethal and repellent to termites.
Our Pre-construction termite treatment involves three stages:
• FOUNDATION.
• GROUND FLOOR SLAB.
• EXTERNAL PERIMETER.
MASA provides warranty for both Pre-construction and Post Construction Termite Treatments. Every customer will be given a warranty pack to ensure all documents and information is available. The warranty will contain information about the treatment, inspection report and schedule and/or warranty certificate or Annual Maintenance Contract.
Worried about pests ? Call MASA at our Unified Number 920001330 for a free inspection. Our pest control expert will schedule an inspection to assess your problem and recommend an effective solution for the same.