ปลวก In The House

[Neeranam]

Firstly, does anyone know the English word for this(bpluak) and what to do to it to get rid of it.

Cheers

N N

[jdinasia]

Termites

[mosquitoman]

You have termites in the house, I am told they are very hard to get rid of. Is yer house wood or concrete?

I think they eat there way through wood, but luckily not concrete.

In the past I have treated wood with sheldrite and chaindrite this kills/ prevents insect infestation.

Good Luck

[Tywais]

Yep, termites. It's one of the most dreaded words a Thai house owner can hear. There are signs posted in our moo bahn with a phone number. I looked up the word for future reference. Our house had a major infestion when I noticed a picture frame on the wall was falling apart. Called that number and they did a very professional job. Dug burr holes all around the house, through the floor in various locations and filled with an insecticide. Sprayed inside any location that was suspect. The price included 6 months of monthly service (about 4000 Baht). That was 4 years ago and haven't seen any since.

[sleepyjohn]

In the past I have treated wood with sheldrite and chaindrite this kills/ prevents insect infestation.

Good Luck

I think the chap who looks after our places soaks things in petrol. It stinks for a day or two I believe.

You'll have to ask further to prevent reinfection later......a little wood oil dissolved in the petrol might work perhaps? Or garlic? No stick with the oil, very nice and soluble.

Edited September 30, 2006 by sleepyjohn

[mosquitoman]

In the past I have treated wood with sheldrite and chaindrite this kills/ prevents insect infestation.

Good Luck

I think the chap who looks after our places soaks things in petrol. It stinks for a day or two I believe.

You'll have to ask further to prevent reinfection later......a little wood oil dissolved in the petrol might work perhaps? Or garlic? No stick with the oil, very nice and soluble.

Whats wood oil?

[meadish_sweetball]

I think they eat there way through wood, but luckily not concrete.

Let's hope they dont evolve.

[Oswulf]

I have this problem, too. The usual approach around here seems to be to buy a can of insecticide - the type with a long tube to direct the poison into holes - and use that liberally. If that fails, get a man in to douse the entire property in foul-smelling stuff that will make you feel sick.

I've managed to control the outbreak in my bathroom using the cans, but the outbreak in the kitchen, well, that's a different matter.

[Neeranam]

Thanks for the replies The house is concrete mostly and I only rent. I'll tell the owner and I guess it's up to him what he does. I took out a big 'nest' thing from a big unused cupboard today.

[Artisan]

Yep, termites. It's one of the most dreaded words a Thai house owner can hear. There are signs posted in our moo bahn with a phone number. I looked up the word for future reference. Our house had a major infestion when I noticed a picture frame on the wall was falling apart. Called that number and they did a very professional job. Dug burr holes all around the house, through the floor in various locations and filled with an insecticide. Sprayed inside any location that was suspect. The price included 6 months of monthly service (about 4000 Baht). That was 4 years ago and haven't seen any since.

Hi Tywais, I had the same process done on our up-country bungalow earlier this year....same price but with a 5-year guarantee and yearly checks....not bad!! I was told that the little bleeders do 'dismantle' concrete to some extent.

Also, I've been told that the colony has migrated down the road!!! I hope that they didn't mutter those famous last words of the "Terminator" as they left...."I'll be back"!!!

Edited September 30, 2006 by Artisan

[Tywais]

Hi Tywais, I had the same process done on our up-country bungalow earlier this year....same price but with a 5-year guarantee and yearly checks....not bad!! I was told that the little bleeders do 'dismantle' concrete to some extent.

That's a good deal alright. Now on the guarantee, if the bungalo falls down within 5 years, do they build a new one for you?

[gburns57au]

Thanks for the replies The house is concrete mostly and I only rent. I'll tell the owner and I guess it's up to him what he does. I took out a big 'nest' thing from a big unused cupboard today.

The nest thing is only the top of it..they actually live underground

There is a cyanide powder that can be used....termites are social and clean each other as they go along their tunnels. Eventually they get to the queen and kill her.

[Farma]

I had some small black ants about 4-5 MM long in the house and wanted to kill them but was told they were good ants that kept the termites away.

The ants are still there and no termites so far.

Edit spelling

Edited September 30, 2006 by Farma

[Artisan]

Hi Tywais, I had the same process done on our up-country bungalow earlier this year....same price but with a 5-year guarantee and yearly checks....not bad!! I was told that the little bleeders do 'dismantle' concrete to some extent.

That's a good deal alright. Now on the guarantee, if the bungalow falls down within 5 years, do they build a new one for you?

Who? The termites or the termite terminators?

[Heng]

Doesn't help the OP, but the only 100% effective solution I have seen are homes that are built with a PVC pipe grid specifically for insecticide injection once a year. It keeps the the dirt under your property termite free.

The problem with the with next best method (the hundreds of companies that put signs and sticker ads up everywhere in most of the middle and lower end neighborhoods all over the country) that drill holes around your property and sometimes within your house itself (through your tiles, granite, or whatever you have for flooring) is that it typically leaves empty non-toxic pockets of dirt where termites can flourish (and one colony is more than enough to take over your house).... and because there is some much wood involved in the construction even in 'concrete' homes -door/window frames, etc.-... and by the way they'll also eat gypsum panels as well, they'll find their way up to the food sources... usually by building dirt tunnels up along your home's foundation pillars, along your pvc water pipes etc... all where you can't see. We've torn down a few homes built on our properties over the years, and it's a good chance to see termite work behind the scenes.

The canned insecticide is only effective for your own peace of mind, as they simply move to somewhere you aren't spraying... and eventually move back to where you've sprayed before once you've decided that you can't handle spraying insecticide regularly inside your house.

[simcity]

Firstly, does anyone know the English word for this(bpluak) and what to do to it to get rid of it.

Cheers

N N

yes they are pest !

i use C.S group , the first time they came to spray chemical under the house , plus 3 or 4 service after that !

cost 4500 baht

have many number 02412 8888 is the one i use

[simcity]

i know i have a problem for 1-2 years , i bough numerous of cans they sell in super market and spray !

they was eating my book collection , everything no move often , they going for it !

coming back from a 10 days holiday , i find my downstairs partition ceiling on the floor !

time to do something !

get two workers , remove all partition ceiling and stair case , clean , redo partition and paint , 8 days works about 9500 baht with material !

but they come back after 1 month and then i call the pest control company . no more problems!

they do not go after the hard wood , partition / Gibson and soft wood the yummy for them ! but if nothing else they will start to chew on anything ..

[Artisan]

.......... but if nothing else they will start to chew on anything ..

Including plaster, mortar and concrete. I know

[simcity]

.......... but if nothing else they will start to chew on anything ..

Including plaster, mortar and concrete. I know

if my memory is good ! i think the plaster / mortar and concrete get damage because of the urine of this monster !

[Lazy Sod]

We've had to replace gypsum celings due to the little b@#stards, despite annual underground spraying (changed pest companies since). The gypsum eating surprised me. Tell-tale signs for termites in the gypsum ceiling are bubbles appearing in the paint as if there is water leaking from above, but press on the bubble and you'll discover there is nothing left but paint.

[simcity]

the good news is the new gibson is treated for termits

[tracker]

a more natural friendly solution is to create a barrier for them to enter your house (if this is possible). If you rent, depend on your situation:

Termites need and create those little pipes where the big-jaw brothers can travel through. They need a particular density of underground to create this on. If you create a small "canal" around the house, which you fill with yellow sand (which is a medium fine grain), they are unable to create these pipes and so they go elsewhere.

Keep the "canal" free of plants so regularly pull out seedlings/weed.

Then, the only thing you are left with is, to get the ones out who are now in.

search on the net on this subject. There is more info. Better than poisioning your house around you.

[mosquitoman]

I have also seen them munch there way through Polystyrene A.K.A Styrofoam, I was suprised when I saw this.

[Heng]

a more natural friendly solution is to create a barrier for them to enter your house (if this is possible). If you rent, depend on your situation:

Termites need and create those little pipes where the big-jaw brothers can travel through. They need a particular density of underground to create this on. If you create a small "canal" around the house, which you fill with yellow sand (which is a medium fine grain), they are unable to create these pipes and so they go elsewhere.

Keep the "canal" free of plants so regularly pull out seedlings/weed.

Then, the only thing you are left with is, to get the ones out who are now in.

search on the net on this subject. There is more info. Better than poisioning your house around you.

How would that stop airborne termites?

[tracker]

No idea how that would stop airborne ones. The stuff i read about it claimed it was now THE option for a non chemical approach. I assume here that just as with all flying ants, it is only used for their high altitude orgies, then the wings fall off and all die accept the queen...

as I said, search on it... or put up with the chemicals.... just let you know there are other ways out.

[gburns57au]

How would that stop airborne termites?

Airborne termites.....thats a new one on me....

Black ants are the natural enemy of termites...the termites are blind and soft bodied so they make a great food source for the ants....I have seen this happen.....Put a few black ants on an open termite mound and they go crazy.

[Tywais]

How would that stop airborne termites?

Airborne termites.....thats a new one on me....

Some members (termites) have wings, which is what I think he means.

"Termites belong to the Order Isoptera:

(Pronounced Eye-sop-terr-a) , the termites, from the Greek, Iso meaning equal and pteron, meaning wing. The name refers to the wings of the reproductive caste, which isn't very helpful as most termites are plain workers that never get to grow wings. There are two pairs of wings, with the front pair the same size as the hind pair. The name termite comes from the Latin word for woodworm."

[Lazy Sod]

How would that stop airborne termites?

Airborne termites.....thats a new one on me....

The swarms of flying insects with the wings that fall off, they are the flying termites. Every so often they swarm looking to form new colonies, two of them mate and off they go again. The rainy season is when they are most active as they thrive in moist conditions.

[Lazy Sod]

the good news is the new gibson is treated for termits

Simcity, that's interesting, our house was built about 6 years ago and we've recently had to replace most of the gypsum downstairs. When they ripped it down on the back it was printed "Thai Gypsum Company" which I believe is a large company here. I've been wondering for a while why a "respectable" company has been selling gypsum which is clearly delicious for termites. A friend of mine told me it's because they mixed lots of rubbish, like old wood and re-cycled paper with the local gypsum, and that's why it so attractive to termites. Apparently it's very rare for termites to eat gypsum in the USA, presumably because it's better quality.

I've been wondering how long it would take for the termites to start eating the new gypsum, but your post above provides me with some hope. Sorry to question you, but how do you know the new gypsum is treated for termites? It's good news if it's true.

[Heng]

No idea how that would stop airborne ones. The stuff i read about it claimed it was now THE option for a non chemical approach. I assume here that just as with all flying ants, it is only used for their high altitude orgies, then the wings fall off and all die accept the queen...

as I said, search on it... or put up with the chemicals.... just let you know there are other ways out.

Searched and found it years ago, it's not really a recent "discovery." The pvc insecticide grid, in my experience, is the only thing that'll stop them. Nothing can stop them from getting on your house or simply accessing your house via trees, plants, or furniture. You have to interrupt their colony life cycle (which is what the insecticide companies 'try' to do), part of which is invariably underground.

I do agree that barriers like sand canals do help though, especially if you live in a neighborhood where the people aren't so diligent about termite control (where barriers and insecticide treatments will make your house the least attractive). Getting rid of as much underground moisture as you can helps also. I've had some relatives get rid of all the trees on their property and instead opt for potted plants on concrete with a sloping drainage basin on all sides of their house instead of dirt and grass. It seems to be effective as well.

Edited October 3, 2006 by Heng