I am a school teacher. I live in a rented apartment in a old building in Lahore. I have a small collection of books that I love. One evening, I reached for a book on my bottom shelf. The shelf crumbled. The wood had turned into brown powder. Termites. I had seen small mud tubes on the wall but did not know what they were. That night, I started researching termite control and termite treatment. Here is what I learned.
The Signs I Should Have Noticed Earlier
Looking back, the signs were there for months. Small mud tubes on the wall near the floor. A hollow sound when I knocked on my wooden cupboard. Tiny wings near my window sill. My landlord told me it was nothing. He said termite control was not necessary. I believed him because I did not know better. Now I know that termite treatment should have been done years ago. The termites had been eating the wooden structure of my apartment for at least three years.
Why DIY Termite Control Failed Me
After the shelf collapsed, I went to a hardware store and bought a bottle of termite control spray. I sprayed it everywhere I saw mud tubes. The termites disappeared for two weeks. Then they came back in the kitchen. I later learned that most DIY termite control products only kill the termites you can see. They do not reach the main colony, which lives underground or inside the walls. Professional termite treatment is different. It uses chemicals that termites carry back to the colony on their bodies. That poison then spreads and kills the queen.
The Correct Termite Treatment Process
I finally convinced my landlord to pay for professional termite treatment. The company that came did three things. First, they inspected the entire apartment. They drilled small holes in the floor and inserted a camera. They found termite activity under the bathroom tiles and inside the kitchen cabinets. Second, they injected liquid termite control chemical into the ground around the building foundation. This creates a barrier that termites cannot cross. Third, they sprayed a different chemical on all wooden surfaces. The entire termite treatment took half a day.
How Much Does Professional Termite Control Cost
My landlord paid eighteen thousand rupees for termite treatment of our two bedroom apartment. That included a one year warranty. If termites came back within twelve months, the company would do the entire termite treatment again for free. Compared to the cost of replacing the wooden shelves, the kitchen cabinets, and the door frames, eighteen thousand rupees is nothing. I wish my landlord had agreed to termite control two years ago. My bookshelf would still be standing.
What I Learned About Preventing Termites
After the termite treatment, the technician gave me advice. Do not keep cardboard boxes on the floor. Termites eat cardboard. Fix any leaking pipes. Termites need moisture to survive. Do not let wood touch the soil outside. Keep a gap of at least six inches. Do not store old newspapers or magazines under the bed. I followed all his advice. I also bought a dehumidifier for my bathroom because termites love damp areas.
My Advice for Other Tenants
If you see mud tubes on the walls, do not ignore them. Do not let your landlord tell you it is nothing. Demand termite control. If your landlord refuses, offer to split the cost of termite treatment. It is worth it. Also, inspect your wooden furniture regularly. Tap on it with a screwdriver. If it sounds hollow, termites are inside. My bookshelf is gone, but my remaining books are safe. I now have a new shelf made of metal. Do not be like me. Do not wait until your furniture collapses. Ask for termite treatment today.
