Pest Profile: Here's how much damage termites can cause to your home

Termites may be as small and look as harmless as ants but, they can cause costly damages to properties.

The effects of termite infestation

Structural Damage

Termites affect hundreds of thousands of homes in Singapore. They cause structural damage by eating away the very foundation of your home—support beams, ceiling joists, posts, panels, wall studs and even door frames and flooring to name a few.

Cosmetic Damage

More than structural damage, termites are also capable of cosmetic damage. Symptoms of a termite infestation include discolouration or damage to the flooring, paint, or wallpaper that may require replacement. It also forms unsightly mud tubes on the wall, which is a typical sign of a termite infestation.

Health Risks

While termites do not carry, harmful diseases such as Dengue Fever caused by mosquitoes or bacteria-causing food poisoning symptoms such as Salmonella. However, it may cause allergy symptoms to some people such as Asthma.

Costly and Time-Consuming Repair

On top of that, resolving the issue may cause disruption in your regular household activities—not to mention, the time and money it takes to arrange with a repair contractor, prepare to evacuate the home, and settle back in again. In serious cases, there is a need to replace doorframes, tear down connecting panels such as built-in-kitchens and reconstructing of ceilings.

These situations illustrate the need to hire a termite control expert to address the problem immediately through accurate detection and make sure we apply the appropriate chemicals safely and effectively. Read here to find out if you are getting right termite treatment.

All you need to know about termites

The problem with termites

Early detection is essential to keep an infestation from causing damage in the first place. However, with termites, this is hardly ever the case.

The problem with termites is not just fast the colony can invade a home but how their presence can go undetected for years. In most cases, you only realise an infestation when is already causing significant or visible damage. Some signs are also not as straightforward for home owners not trained in pest control to identify with.

Therefore, even if you see superficial termite damage—sagging floors and ceiling or traces of dust—it is most likely that there is more damage underneath. These situations only further illustrate why you should have a termite control plan in place. More importantly, do not take these early signs of termites lightly.

The cost of termite infestation

While there is no ballpark figure as to how much a repair can cost, Rentokil Singapore, in its recent collaboration with MoneySmart SG, provided an insight into the average cost of replacing some termite-damaged items in your home:

Items or Home Furnishing                Cost of Replacement

Door Frames                                    $650 – $950.

Parquet Flooring (600 sq ft room)   ~$2,400

Bedframes                                       $700 – 2,000

False Ceiling (higher than 8.5ft)     ~$1,000

Bedside Table                                 $200 – 350 per set

In some cases, termite damage can be so extensive that the repair may be more expensive than the cost to build your home or even compared to invest in an intensive and proper termite treatment. This is because aside from the structural repair, you will also have to address the cosmetic problems it has caused. Therefore, you should expect that a termite infestation to cost you much more than this. In addition, time spent in blocking your leave to be around to see to these treatment and services might cost just as much vs monetarily.

Below are some other contributing factors to the cost of addressing a termite infestation:

• How much damaged wood there is?
• When was the infestation started?
• Is the infnestation level heavy?
• What is the spread of the infestation?
• Where are the damages?
• Is there a connection of termite damages around the home?
• Are the materials to fabricate the home expensive?

In a feature in Dollars and Sense, Rentokil Singapore discussed the areas where a termite infestation can add up to the unexpected costs when buying a home.

Read here to find out more about termite treatment cost in Singapore.

How to avoid the costs of termite damage

There is no better way to address a termite problem than prevent the spread of infestation and colony in the first place. You should engage the help of a termite control company to identify an infestation and keep potential repair costs to a minimum. While at it, you should also keep an eye for signs of termite damage. However, exactly how do they look like?

Signs of termite damage

• Painted walls that appear to bubble or peel
• Small entry holes in the drywall
• Hollow-sounding wood. You can identify by knocking or probing with an object
• Buckling wood that separates itself from the subfloor
• A swollen ceiling or floor that may seem like water damage
• Damaged wall structure, panels, door frames and ceiling
• Presence of frass on the surface that appears to look like dust
• Connecting lines of mud tubes shown on the wall
• Flying elates or “flies” especially near lighting area

Adding on to the nightmare, termite damage and the pest are not easily visible to the untrained eye—hence, we tend to miss the first signs of a termite infestation. It also does not help that not everyone is aware of what how it look like that.

In most cases, they are confused with ants. Termites live either within the soil or in the structures, thus making visibility harder. It is for these reasons that it pays to have a professional assess the termite problem you may have. Read here to find out the difference between termites and ants.

Signs of termite damages

Anti-Termite Treatment by Rentokil

Here at Rentokil Singapore, we offer a complete termite control solution that may include monitoring and baiting, liquid barrier termiticide treatment and/or drywood termite foaming. For the additional assurance, a 7 years warranty is included. To ensure peace of mind, Rentokil Singapore offers yearly inspection and monitoring.

In this solution, our pest control experts will place monitoring stations in your premises, which they will keep an eye out on for any termite activity. When detected, they will then add baits to the system that contains active ingredients to eliminate the colony. There is also an option of applying liquid termiticide around the perimeter of the home to treat the existing problem and prevent any infestation in the future.

To treat drywood termite found in furniture and doorframes, you may consider a drywood termite foaming treatment. The formulation used in the solution halts termite muscle, thus preventing further damage and in addition. In addition, its foaming nature helps better penetration and distribution to control the infestation.

Useful termite tips

Common queries on termite control services

Dealing with termites is as complex as knowing what is this pest type is all about. Unlike common pest treatments by spraying or misting and placing of visible baits and traps around, termite treatment involves a more complicated process. Here is a list of FAQ on understanding all about termite removal in Singapore:

• Complete guide for termite control
• Understanding more about white ants control
• Can you treat termite on your own?
• What to do if you spot termites in your home?
• How to get rid of termites yourself?

For more information about our termite treatment plan, get in touch with our experts at Rentokil today. Contact us online or call us at (65) 6347 8138.