Gulf Construction Online - Masa stops termites with right methods

Industrial Construction

Masa pest controllers ... experts in the field.

Masa stops termites with right methods

01 January 2010

IN recent years, termite control treatment of buildings has become a standard procedure in many parts of the kingdom, both for slab on ground and basement construction.

Pests exist in larger numbers in areas of increased human activity, especially in industrial and food processing areas, warehouses, ships and vessels, airports, transport stations, construction sites, amusement parks, zoos and residential buildings. Masa Establishment for Pest Extermination, Maintenance and Contracting tackles all kinds of pests that affect public health, right from structural pests to occasional invaders like snakes and scorpions – before and after infestation occurs.
Amongst all these pests, termites – particularly the subterranean species – are the most destructive insects for buildings and the industrial sector, damaging properties worth millions. The most distinctive feature of subterranean termite damage is the presence of a brown mud-like material, which lines the galleries in an irregular pattern. As a general rule, subterranean termites are found near the ground level, although they occasionally occur above the level of first floor windows, especially in the warmer areas of the country.

Preventive measures
An inspector must thoroughly examine all of the underground areas of the premises including the basement and crawl space walls, supporting piers and beams, sill plates, floor joists, and sub-floors, paying particular attention to all areas where concrete steps, porches or concrete slabs join with the structure.
The major objective of the termite control specialists is to establish a chemical barrier between the termite nest and the building structure. A complete preventive measure may involve any or several of the following basic steps – mechanical alteration, soil treatment, foundation treatment and wood treatment – depending primarily upon the type of construction. In many cases, however, adequate termite control can be achieved without involving all four types of treatment.
Mechanical alteration involves modifying the structure so as to provide a barrier that cannot be penetrated by termites or to eliminate conditions that are conducive to termite invasion. When carrying out soil treatment underneath the buildings, a continuous chemical barrier can be created by making the soil impervious. This barrier should extend inside and outside the foundation, under slabs and around utility entrances.
Foundation treatment involves the application of termiticide at the excavated pits prior to the pouring of the cement for the purpose of foundation footings and/or walls of the building. This application will prevent the entry of termites through cracks that may develop in the foundation.
Slab treatment refers to the application of termiticide at the pre-slab backfill prior to pouring of concrete.
Perimeter treatment entails the application of termiticide at the perimeter of the building, which is usually done when the walls and all other structures are complete and/or before the outside perimeter pavement (concrete) is placed.
With each of these types of construction treatments, certain structural features may require special attention to ensure a barrier that prevents entry of termite into a building.
It must be noted that pre-construction treatment is the best option to guarantee a complete chemical barrier and control or prevent termites more effectively than post-construction applications.
Pre-construction treatment should be carried out only when favourable conditions prevail. Wet soil should not be treated because there is likely to be considerable surface flow of the termiticide from the site of application. If the treated areas are not covered immediately, precautions must be taken to prevent contact or disturbance of the treatment by people or animals.
When cracks are discovered in the foundation, these should be drilled and termiticide injected into the hole. The drilled hole should then be firmly and completely plugged with concrete. In the case of poured concrete slabs, sidewalks and driveways, the critical areas under them can be treated with pesticide either by drilling down through the surface of the slab close to the building or, where possible, by drilling horizontally through the inside wall immediately under the slab.
A common problem in the control of subterranean termites involves situations in which wooden members extend through the concrete in the basement floor. Supporting posts, stair risers, and door frames are common examples. Concrete block partition walls, which extend down through the basement floor also present a problem. Ideally, they should be cut off above the floor and a concrete curb placed under them. However, in practice, this is both expensive and difficult to do and usually holes are drilled through the floor on both sides of the wall to treat the soil underneath.
In some cases, houses are built on supporting piers of brick, stone, concrete, concrete blocks. While concrete piers create no particular threat, bricks, stone or concrete blocks, are usually hollow and provide termites with an easy access route to the wood above. While ideally these should be filled with concrete, in practice, the hollow centres are drilled and the voids treated with termiticide.
The termiticides used by Masa is Idea/Josh, which has the active ingredient, Imidacloprid 30.5 per cent SC, and has been used by various countries for termite control. It is odourless, undetectable by termites, and colourless when mixed with water.