Pest control vital during construction
Valentin Diego, the operations manager at Riyadh-based Masa Establishment for Pest Extermination Services, elaborates on termite control measures to be taken in industrial constructions.
01 January 2003
When most people think about pre-treating a building against pests during construction they only consider the threat of termites. However, there are other measures that can be initiated which will help to prevent future infestations by other pests.
Most pests find their way into structures through cracks, crevices and other routes of entry, which are available in every building or house. These are too many to list; however, the point is that pests will use these points of entry to gain a foothold into a home, building and even industrial structure.
Once established, they will breed and grow in number. Many people think there is something magical that can be done before, during or right after a structure is built to make it insect-proof. This is simply not the case - and there is no single method that will make a building free of insects forever.
When commencing construction, particular care needs to be paid to termite control, as they can destroy structures.
When it comes to pest control, there are several misconceptions about building materials and construction methods such as:
* Slab buildings are termite proof because they have no basement.
In fact, unfinished basements make easy reliable inspection. Buildings with unfinished basements are easier to treat, less likely to develop any major problems and less likely to have termites in the first place. Most structures with an unfinished basement that get termites have activity where the basement slab attaches to another structure, by the front or rear stoop or any attached slabs. However, once a basement is finished, this changes. Finished basements are very likely to develop termites and buildings with slabs are most likely to get termites.
* Termite shields are better than an extermination job.
What a misrepresentation. Having termite shields really does nothing except let you better see where the termites have entered, and for this reason alone they are worth using. But don't rely on them to keep termites out. It's not going to happen. If you want to keep termites out, you will have to contact a qualified pest control company such as Masa of Saudi Arabia.
* Solid concrete foundations keep termites out.
Again, I am not sure where this evolved, but rest assured, termites love to tunnel over solid concrete about as much as they love to tunnel over block, wood, brick, rock or any other building material. Solid foundations do make inspections easier as well as keep the invaders to the surface. However, block foundations can separate and crack and termites travelling in these cracks are much harder to detect.
* Every crack and crevice leading into this structure will be caulked so pests will never be able to enter.
This is not going to happen. This is not pest control or pre-treatment - mere mechanical control. In other words, by minimising gaps and seams through which insects can enter you can reduce the number of pests entering a structure. Though this is true, there are simply too many cracks and crevices available. You will be able to keep out more pests by properly sealing a building. But remember, infestations generally don't occur because of continuous migration inside. Most happen because pests get inside and start breeding. In other words, it only takes a few to start a problem and there are simply too many entry points to close. Therefore, if you want to stop an infestation in a building, you will need to first minimise routes of entry by doing a good sealing job but then, minimise the amount of pests living adjacent to your home. This combination will prove to be most effective.
* We are installing pest treatment tubing so we won't have to worry about what we actually use to build nor our method of construction.
Wrong again. Such systems do allow you to treat wall voids and other hard-to-reach areas of the building. However, this will prove to be effective only if the problem is actually that deep and specific. Many problems never get below the surface. However, even with its shortcomings, it is good to have. But again, don't rely on one tool. There are several materials which will last for many years if applied to wall voids during construction. These will stop pests from living in treated areas and are easy to apply during construction.
* All the lumber being used in this building has been kiln dried so there is no risk of pests coming in with it.
Wrong. Though kiln drying will help to kill off wood-destroying pests, they can become reinfested simply in storage. Chances are that some of the wood used for any structures will have pests in it and such wood presents a real and clear danger of spreading this activity.
All this shows the importance of termite control during building construction. It should not be taken lightly during the initial phase of construction as this will definitely cause problems later. Hence, this should be done in the designing and planning phase.
Qualified pest control consultants should be contacted and detailed discussions held. Masa is always ready to help its clients at this stage. Its objective is to prevent the problem rather than cure. It may be cost little more, but will prevent building getting infested forever.
Building contractors and owners are liable for the treatment of their structures. Choosing a reputable and reliable pest management firm, using the termiticides proven to last longer, and providing the most structural protection is the best step to reducing one's liability when it comes to termites.
With over 22 years of experience, Masa has served several construction companies in Saudi Arabia. It has on-going pre-treatment termite projects with Latifa Construction Company and Saudi Lebanese Modern Construction Company, having supplied both firms almost 20 tonnes of termiticides. Masa also works with Saud Consult, Al Dewan Establishmenty, Naseed Establishment, Al Jalhamri Contracting, Al Nawat Engineering Technology Consulting Group, and Hasheem Trading and Contracting.
