Experts in digging building walls (the harm caused by termites and how to eliminate them)

Termites are notorious for their harm to buildings such as houses and dams. If a termite nest appears, the stability of the building will be seriously threatened. There are many types of termites. There are more than 2,000 known species in the world, and there are about 100 species in my country.

(1) Harm of termites

"A dike of thousands of miles collapses in the burrows of ants" (Han Feizi: "Yu Lao Pian", 234 AD). Even though they are small termites, they often cause immeasurable losses to people. There is such a folk song: "A small termite, with a body like glutinous rice, not to mention not big, with a copper head and an iron mouth. When passing through the mountain path, when encountering water, it will penetrate the bottom. If you ask about the harm, it will be half a mile away. Characteristics of decay, paper and cloth, Beam-framed furniture, wood fibers, endangering houses, threatening dams.”

It is true that termites are “toothless tigers and a serious nuisance”. In areas where termites breed, a house will be infested by termites for as little as one year and as long as three years, leaving the walls in ruins. A piece of furniture attracted termites, which took ten and a half days to eat away at the heartwood, leaving only a layer of skin. Termites make a lot of noise when they feed on fiber. Because its harm is very hidden, it is generally not easy to detect. By the time you discover it, irreparable losses have been caused. The damage caused by termites to the national economy is truly shocking. In the early days of liberation, there were many old-style houses and temples in the grain warehouses, and 90% of them were damaged by termites. The floors, doors and windows of some warehouses were eaten away, and none of them was intact. Even the wooden stakes on the walls were eaten by termites. As food. In 1960, in a small town called Gaoxinpu in Xinchun County, four houses were destroyed due to termite infestation. A store in Bailianhe, Xishui, was eaten by termites and collapsed, injuring people. In 1970, it was discovered that Chenjiacun, Changchongdong No. 2 Brigade, Yingshan County, was infested by a nest of termites. Over the past 20 years, 18 houses were affected, and three houses collapsed. The severely damaged households had no frames in their doors and windows. The table cabinet has no legs. In 1972, a domestic termite nest with a diameter of less than 30 centimeters in the Macheng County Iron Gate Processing Factory ate away at the footings, doors, windows and surrounding trees of a house within a year, causing suffered a great loss. Termites not only harm wood, but also indirectly dig holes in rivers and lakes embankments, causing foundations to sink and roads to become uneven, causing embankment breaches and causing serious damage to people's lives and property.

(2) Harmful objects of termites

The food that termites like to eat is mainly fibrous materials, and their harmful objects include the following aspects: ① Buildings: such as doors, windows, bridges, roof trusses and other wooden structures. ②Storage items: such as books, documents, clothing, furs, medicinal materials, grain, cotton, oil, etc. ③Wooden objects: such as tables, chairs, beds, cabinets and other furniture and farm tools. ④ Open-air structures: such as sleepers, wooden poles, wooden bridges, etc. ⑤Underground objects: such as foundation piles, coffins, stumps, tree roots, etc. ⑥ Water objects: such as wooden boats, dock wooden springboards, etc. ⑦Accumulations: such as wood, firewood, etc. ⑧Woody plants: such as forests, fruit trees, shade trees, trees, etc. ⑨Field crops: such as sugar cane, peanuts, vegetables, sunflowers, etc.

(3) Density distribution of termites

Whether it is in mountainous areas, hills or lakeside areas, we have found the danger of termites. In some mountainous villages, termites are almost everywhere in front of and behind the houses, and many kinds of termites breed. As for the forest area, the damage caused by termites is even more serious. Although the types and density of termites in hilly areas are not as many as those in mountainous areas, due to the small forest coverage, the degree of damage to buildings is far more serious than in mountainous areas.

The distribution density of termites is closely related to conditions such as soil structure, forest management, house selection and design, and the amount of underground objects (tree roots, coffins). In 1970, the Seventh Production Team of the Fourth Brigade of Tiemen Commune in Macheng County dug out thirteen nests of domestic termites and black-winged termites in a 200-meter long and narrow village behind a small village with more than ten households. Although such high-density ant colonies have caused certain damage during farmland water conservancy construction, they still exist in large numbers in some areas.

(4) The ability of termites to penetrate holes

The harm caused by termites is determined by the size of the nest, the amount of food, and the termites' preference for food. According to some information, the activity area of black-winged soil termites can reach 2827.5 square meters, and the underground activity radius of house termites is 100 meters. We have seen in practice that the ant tunnels of soil termites extend up to one hundred meters long. In 1962, the Fenghuang Grain Management Office of Xinzhou County placed a wooden board in a pile of coal 85 meters away from the nest. A month later, little was left after being eaten by termites. Termites are very capable of burrowing. Ancient books record that termites can eat away at hard materials such as silverware. The nests of soil-dwelling termites in dams can be built nine meters underground; these termites specifically look for hard soil to build their nests, and their nests are usually less than 1.5 meters above the ground. Although the tunnels of house termites are not as deep as those of soil termites, and the underground nests are generally only within one meter, they can tunnel through under the cement floor. In 1962, in the mountains behind the warehouse in front of Wasi, Yingshan County, domestic termites built their nests in the mud in the cracks of the rocks. The tunnel passage was 43 meters deep and the deepest was 5.95 meters above the surface. Certain weathered stones (bone stones) in mountainous areas are often removed by termites to expand their nests with larger diameters. Facts have proven that termites are serious pests.

Termites that harm homes are usually domestic termites and termites. Domestic termites have wings, and the adult heads are slightly larger. The colonies usually live in woodlands and tree trunks in the soil of homes. They also often settle in suitcases, bookcases and other furniture. Their nuptial flights can be seen at dusk from May to June every year. , especially in the muggy weather after rain. Most of the male and female ants that have gone through the nuptial flight and shed their wings burrow into the ground near tree trunks, wood and buildings to build nests, and pair up to mate. The new queen begins to lay eggs within 5-13 days after mating. The termite colonies live relatively scattered and often close to the ground. They mainly live in wood or tree trunks, tree roots, as well as on the floors, door frames, wall corners, wooden pillars, etc. of houses. Breeding ants emerge around October of the same year or April of the following year, and nuptial flights occur from February to June.

(5) Prevention and control methods.

The method of eradicating and controlling termites is relatively complex, and relevant termite control countermeasures, methods, means, drugs and equipment are constantly being improved. At present, chemical control methods are mainly used.

① Ant killer. It is very effective in killing termites. According to the test, after applying the pesticide at the harmed point and digging out the underground termite nest 2 months later, only the dried skulls of countless soldier ants were found in the nest, but not a single live termite. The effect was also very good.

②Sodium arsenite and chlordane EC. It can be used to kill termites under house floors, inside wooden pillars, slatted plaster walls and bamboo woven walls. There are many methods for termite control and pesticide application, including powder extermination method, emulsion and oil control method, poison bait trapping method, etc.; in addition, the preparation method of pesticides, dosage time, pesticide application precautions, etc. are all relatively complicated. Therefore, if termite damage occurs in your home, it is best to ask professionals from the relevant units to come and solve the problem.

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