We’re sure you may have never seen it this way. Did you know that the global economic losses caused by termites are estimated to exceed $40 billion annually? Termites, the silent destroyers, are more hazardous than other pests, as the damage they cause is extensive and often goes unnoticed. Now imagine the situation in Dubai, which is known for its warm, humid climate, providing the perfect breeding ground for termites. Our advice- no sooner you get a hint it’s there, rush to get anti-termite treatment done.
But why are termites such a problem? The reason is that while other pests, such as rodents, cockroaches, and mosquitoes, cause localized nuisances or health risks, termites are notorious for systematically eating cellulose-based materials – including wood, paper, fabrics, and even the foundations of buildings.
The termites you might be worrying about sending out a constant gnawing sound in your Dubai property are the subterranean termites found in UAE, thriving in temperatures ranging from 24°C to 35°C.
Our detailed blog aims to educate our readers about 10 highly effective anti-termite treatment methods and termite control interventions, which, when executed by professionals, eliminate the threat of pest infestation. Professional pest control companies in Dubai also use these termite treatment methods. Stay tuned!
1. Pre-Construction Anti-Termite Treatment
Begin from the foundation. Before the first brick is laid or the foundation is poured, proactive anti-termite treatment is not only recommended, but it’s often a mandatory requirement by the Dubai Municipality for new constructions. The most commonly used termiticides in Dubai are fipronil and imidacloprid. Why should you get it done before construction starts? The reasons:
Essential for long-term structural protection
Termites can have access to the foundation, which can be nightmarish. By treating the soil and foundation before construction, there’s a chemical barrier that prevents subterranean termites from reaching the building’s wooden components and other cellulose materials. This significantly reduces the risk of future infestations and costly repairs.
Cost-Effective investment for new builds
You save future costly repairs by investing in pre-construction termite prevention. It is far more economical and ensures peace of mind. It’s a foundational safeguard that protects your property’s value from day one.
Compliance with Dubai Municipality regulations
Local building codes and regulations must be adhered to during construction. By opting for professional pre-construction anti-termite treatment, you not only ensure your property is termite-free and your structure is safe, but you meet all the necessary regulations bypassing, which can attract penal actions.
2. Post-Construction Termite Control
Your base is secure, but what about the standing structure? Once the structure is ready, it’s still vulnerable to attacks from pesky termite colonies. What if your property is already built, it’s doing well, but you suspect an active infestation? Post-construction termite control is the way out. This involves a range of targeted techniques to address existing termite issues and prevent their resurgence.
Eradicating existing termite colonies and infestations
Are you seeing mud tubes running along the walls and foundation? If you have a wooden floor that appears blistered, wavy, or warped, most people mistakenly attribute this to water damage rather than the actual culprit within: a growing termite presence.
These are the most visible signs. Now it’s time to act. The primary goal is to eliminate active termite populations, which can silently chew through wooden beams, flooring, and furniture, often unnoticed until significant damage has occurred.
Safeguarding valuable property and furniture
Termites don’t discriminate and leave nothing they can find in their vicinity. Every cellulose-based material —from antique furniture to vital documents — is food for them. The post-construction termite treatment method helps protect these assets. If items are beyond repair, dispose of them responsibly to prevent termites from spreading further and ring a pest control expert in Dubai.
Targeted treatment for specific infested areas
If particular areas in your space are heavily infected, targeted, precision-based anti-termite treatment carried out by specialized termite control professionals is the solution. Specific entry points are blocked, often involving drilling and injecting termiticides into affected zones or creating barriers around the existing structure.
3. Termite baiting systems
You lay the trap; the termites fall for it. Compared to other chemical-based termite control methods, this method is eco-friendly and safer for pets, children, and the environment, as it enables the detection, monitoring, and elimination of termite colonies without the use of chemical methods. It doesn’t act on single termites but wipes out entire colonies. How it’s done?
Thorough inspection and strategic bait station placement
Professionals conduct meticulous inspections to identify active foraging trails. Bait stations containing cellulose-based bait infused with a slow-acting termiticide are then strategically placed around the perimeter of the property or directly into active mud tubes.
Infested areas have tell-tale signs all over. Professionals inspect the property thoroughly, looking for trails and mud tubes. Bait stations are then installed. Termites’ baiting systems consist of bait stations that are evenly placed to provide maximum coverage, either within the ground or above, depending on the infestation. These bait stations contain cellulose-based bait infused with a slow-acting termiticide.
Utilizing advanced cellulose-based termite baits
Once the termites in the area find an attractive cellulose store in the station, they populate. Worker termites consume the bait and share it with other colony members ( trophallaxis or food sharing), including the queen, leading to a domino effect that gradually eliminates the entire colony, which is why it is a very effective anti-termite treatment people in Dubai opt for.
Achieving complete termite colony elimination
Unless you eliminate the root of the problem, it’s likely to appear again. Compared to other termite control methods that repel, baiting systems aim for the complete eradication of colonies, providing long-term termite prevention.
Continuous monitoring is a must
Termites are sticky pests. Poor execution or inadequate action, and you will see them around again. Though effective, bait stations require ongoing professional monitoring and replenishment to ensure the entire colony is destroyed and to detect any new termite activity promptly.
So, it’s going to take time (2-3 months to 6-12 months) as you’re relying on the creature’s habit to discover the bait! If you’re in a rush, consider other quick chemical-based treatments. However, the benefits of this process are significant- colony elimination and minimal invasiveness.
4. Soil Treatment Methods
Here, we’re treating the soil immediately around and/or underneath the structure. The primary objective is to create a chemical barrier in the soil that prevents subterranean termites (the most common and destructive type in Dubai) from crossing to reach the building.
Creating a protective chemical barrier with trenching
Recall how defending forts in the past repelled attacking enemies by building a trench filled with deep water. The anti-termite treatment method involves digging a trench (6-8 inches deep and wide) around the foundation and applying a liquid termiticide, forming a continuous treated “no-entry zone” that termites cannot penetrate.
Deep soil penetration with rod insertion
For areas where trenching isn’t feasible or for deeper termite activity, specialized rods are inserted into the footing level, and termiticides are injected into the soil beneath the foundation, creating a deeper, more targeted barrier.
Precise drilling and injection for slab foundations
This is used in properties with concrete slab foundations. It involves drilling holes into the slab at regular intervals, and termiticide is injected to create a resistant barrier.
Surface anti-termite spraying for immediate coverage
It’s worth noting that these termite prevention methods are not used in isolation; instead, they are often combined to achieve the best results. Anti-termite is sprayed on exposed soil around the foundation to provide immediate, albeit temporary, protection.
5. Deployment of Physical Barriers for Termite Control
Erecting physical barriers to keep termites at bay is usually done when new construction starts or you are renovating your homes, businesses, or offices. These are often long-term solutions. What kind of anti-termite control measures do we have during these times?
Installing stainless steel mesh
Although it incurs upfront investment, it’s an effective way to protect solid structures as a long-term termite control strategy. Pest control experts install fine mesh made of marine-grade stainless steel around the building’s structure. These meshes are extremely durable and last as long as the building itself.
Termiticide-treated polyethylene sheeting
This specialized sheeting, treated with a termiticide, is laid under concrete slabs or around foundations to create a permanent, non-repellent barrier.
Implementing metal capping systems for foundations
It acts as a solid sealant, preserving anything that’s beneath it. Metal flashing or caps can be installed over foundation walls, making it difficult for termites to build mud tubes over them and access the structure above.
6. Wood Treatment and Preservation
Dubai doesn’t use a lot of wood in primary construction for apparent reasons. However, in the interiors, wood is used in décor, as well as for doors, cabinetry, furniture, and aesthetic purposes in hotels, offices, villas, homes, and restaurants. Highly secretive pests, once they gain entry into wooden structures, typically consume wood from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or paint on the surface. No wood is safe!
Direct application for wood surface protection
To protect the wood, apply termiticides by spraying or polishing the exposed wooden surfaces. Now you have a protective between the wood and the attacker termites.
Injecting termiticides within the wooden structure
It’s a fact that no wood is entirely termite-proof. There are just varieties of wood that may decay at a fast or slow rate when attacked by termites. So, nothing should be taken at face value.
Ignoring anti-termite treatment is an invitation to cellulose-hungry termites. For deeply infected wood, holes are drilled into the wood, and termiticides are injected to reach and eliminate termites hidden within the timber.
Long-term wood preservative control techniques
Specialized wood preservatives, usually borate-based treatments, are applied to new or existing timber. Termites avoid treated wood because it is no longer a tasty treat but somewhat simply toxic.
7. Fumigation Termite Control Method
It’s a total treatment among the termite control methods. If you’re dealing with a widespread termite problem or severe dry wood termite infestation, chances are your pest professional will likely suggest you opt for it. Let’s know more about it.
Wipes out the entire termite population
Clean execution means getting rid of the last termite. How can we ensure that nothing remains that can regrow and populate? The affected space or structure is fully enveloped, and within it, a fumigant or gas is introduced for a fixed duration (usually 24 to 72 hours). This ensures any termite within it is exposed to the toxic fume and dies, after which the “aeration” phase follows.
Targets all stages of the termite lifecycle
For any pest control strategy to be effective, it must target the entire lifecycle of the given pest. Fumigation as a termite control technique fits the bill, as it kills all stage termites– eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults—no wonder it is highly advised during the consultation process with pest control companies in Dubai.
Ideal for severe and widespread infestations
Methods do not always guarantee 100% results. While localized anti-termite treatments deliver great results, they cannot be replicated over an overwhelmingly large area or where infestations are out of control. Fumigation offers a definitive solution.
8. Foam Treatment for Targeted Control
It is an effective anti-termite treatment method in the hands of termite control companies.
Best for inaccessible voids and cavities
Termites hide in hard-to-reach areas, and even liquid termicides fail to drive them out. The foam serves as an effective termite control method as it expands (different foams have different expansion ratios) and, as a thick shave, gets into concealed spaces. It can eliminate entire colonies through a transfer effect.
Targeted application for termite hotspots
Termite infestation can be damaging. But you don’t need to dismantle or disrupt the wooden work. Thanks to foam treatment. But there’s a caveat. It should be handled professionally by a trusted pest control company in Dubai.
9. Termite Treatment Using Microwave Technology
Termite treatment using microwave technology is an advanced termite control method where the generated heat eliminates these pests. It is a localized treatment method, in contrast to fumigation carried out over a large area of surface. It doesn’t use chemicals, so pets and animals are safe.
Ideal for high-end villas and sensitive areas
Just as heat cooks food in a microwave oven, similarly, the high heat generated by the equipment causes internal disruption within the bodies of termites. As it’s a clean and less intrusive anti-termite treatment process, owners who are looking for alternatives to chemical-based treatment methods opt for this.
Best for eco-conscious owners
As heat is the only acting agent here, clients and homeowners who are looking for environmentally friendly options can opt for microwave treatment. The caveat is that it should only be carried out by expert pest controllers in Dubai.
Quick-fix solution for facilities
It’s a time-saver because it doesn’t require extensive preparation, and the process is localized. It doesn’t, as such, disrupt the normal functioning in the facility or home that is under pest treatment.
10. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Termites
As the name suggests, IPM is a holistic, combined approach that utilizes various anti-termite treatment methods to achieve the goals of long-term termite control and prevention. At the core, it is an environmentally conscious strategy. The process also leverages modern technology and data and is being used by leading pest control companies in Dubai.
Holistic assessment and strategic Planning
As pest control experts have to draw up a customized anti-termite treatment plan, groundwork involves taking stock of the termite situation. This involves a series of steps, starting with on-site inspections and repeated visits, collecting samples, interpreting patterns to determine the extent of infestation, consulting with property owners, and considering budget and time constraints.
Combining multiple termite control methods
IPM is a modern approach to pest management that is not limited to termite control. It tries to leverage the best capabilities of different termite control techniques we have discussed so far.
This might include targeted chemical treatments where needed, baiting systems, physical barriers, moisture control, and structural repairs, all working in tandem for maximum effectiveness. The goal is to eliminate the problem.
Primacy to eco-friendly solutions
For a modern-day solution to be good, it has to include environmental concerns. IPM has effectively delivered maximum results while minimizing environmental impact.
The optimized nature of the process requires professionals with specialized skills and a comprehensive understanding of various termite control methods, making it ideal for health and safety-conscious residents of Dubai.
Ongoing monitoring and adaptive strategies
Due to the sheer scale and convergence of multiple processes, it is not a one-time affair. By principle, IPM is a continuous process. Regular monitoring mechanisms are part of IPM and ensure there is room for dynamic solution implementation as the situation changes or results are not up to standard. This ensures long-term termite prevention and control.
Why choose us for anti-termite treatment in Dubai?
It is possible to eliminate termites if proper strategy is followed by professional execution. In some cases, we found that clients contacted us when DIY methods failed to exterminate termites. In such cases, delay can aggravate the situation.
Supreme PCS is a leading pest control company in Dubai, serving all the major areas. We’re Dubai Municipality-approved pest control specialists and experts in anti-termite treatment, with a proven track record of complete pest eradication, no matter what premise is offered to us.
Termites are dangerous. Take control of your premise. Call us today for a total pest solution in Dubai.