Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
The exterminator Liu Chong used a termite control drug in a household on Yanqing Road on Wednesday.
Termites are a bit like cockroaches. The very thought of them makes people squeamish, even scared. No wonder, then, that a wave of termite infestations caused by the current humid weather in Shanghai is worrying residents.
Resident Xiong Fangyu, who lives in the Jing’an Temple area, said she was moved to tears by swarms of flying insects.
“You are a real nightmare for me,” Xiong told Shanghai Daily. “I see large numbers of them flying in the corridor and under plane trees when I go outside to dispose of my rubbish. I thought they were moths at first sight.”
Recent studies suggest that termites actually evolved from cockroaches in the distant past. And like cockroaches, they are among the most formidable survivors of evolution.
“When I go to the grocery store, they fly around my hair and body,” Xiong said. “I saw termites flying towards the food when I was buying snacks at a roadside store and the operator asked me to leave because the store was closed.” early because of termites. “
She added, “I almost cried when I got home and felt an itch on my face. I discovered a mistake while removing my face mask. It scared me. “
Xiong said she and her boyfriend disinfect their clothes when they return home.
“I didn’t dare open a window to get some fresh air for fear of seeing a termite squeeze through the screen,” she said. “When I wake up in the morning, I see termite wings stuck in the gaps in the window.”
Termites mainly feed on dead plants, wood, leaves, cellulose, and animal dung. They are often referred to as “white ants” because of their appearance, but they are not scientifically classified as ants, although their colonization patterns are similar. Indeed, ants are a major predator of termites.
Angela Luan, who works in an office building on Yan’an Road M, said termites were all over her office.
“When I left my office on the eighth floor, I found two on my clothes,” she said. “It was disgusting.”
Although there was no official communal announcement that this year’s termite invasion is worse than usual, many residents believe it.
“I’ve lived on the 11th floor for almost 20 years and this is the first time I’ve found termites in my house,” said Zhang Ruiyi, a meteorologist at the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.
“I have an overnight fight to get rid of them,” she said. “This year’s infestation is insane and probably weather related. A warm winter with the temperature not dropping below zero allowed them to survive, and the current humidity made the situation worse. “
Zhang Shengqi, director of Xufang Greenery and Termite Control Center in Xuhui District, offers little hope to angry residents.
“The termite invasion outbreak began in late May and will last through July 10,” he said. “The peak is due around the plum rain season, which is known for damp, humid weather. These pests prefer a moist environment.”
The start of the plum rain season was officially announced in Shanghai on Tuesday, a little earlier than usual.
The number of pest control calls has increased to at least 10 a day and could soon rise to 40 or 50, Zhang said.
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
Wood in a household on Yanqing Road is rotten because of termites.
As early as March, the beetles were discovered in large numbers in old wooden buildings across the city.
This month, the city’s property management authorities released a list of 54 professional termite killers that residents could turn to for help.
Zhang said he recently received a cry for help from a household on Yanqing Road. It was a small, old apartment that was built in the 1920s. It has a narrow staircase to the downstairs kitchen where there is a storage room full of termites.
“There were so many termites flying around that we took pictures of them and asked the center for help,” said a resident surnamed Sun. “We tried to eradicate them with insecticides.”
The termites ate on the door frame, on the window frame and on an assembly table for the electricity meter in the storage room. As soon as they chewed them through, they went to other rooms, like a bathroom.
Even the caretaker’s office on the first floor had to be sprayed on termites, Zhang said.
Such a severe infestation carries risks as termite secretion could start a fire, he added.
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
Termites fly in Sinan Mansions.
Zhang gave some advice to residents.
“Termites like to fly around from dusk until around 10 p.m. when people turn on the lights at home,” he said. “When a wave of termites flies into homes to reproduce, people should use electronic claps or insecticides to kill them.”
It is good to know the enemy.
Termites prefer humid, warm, and calm places. The best way to avoid an infestation in your home is to keep the windows closed, according to experts. However, termites can squeeze through gaps and cracks in the concrete to get in, allowing barrier strips to be installed under door sills and in gaps in walls. Wooden products and packaging brought in from outside should be carefully checked.
People are advised to seek professional help in destroying termite nests and not to attempt it themselves.
The Shanghai Housing Management Bureau said termites are especially a problem in city centers like Huangpu, Xuhui, Yangpu and Hongkou. Between January and May this year, households subjected to termite extermination fell 17 percent year over year to 3,028 households, the bureau added.
The city’s campaign to kill termites peaked in the 1950s and 60s. The use of extensive anti-termite remedies in the 1980s cut the numbers significantly, the bureau said.
Since then, however, global warming, an increase in urban greenery, and wider use of wood for construction and decoration have improved the living environment for termites, the office said.
At the same time, the office has stopped using some termite control chemicals because they are not environmentally friendly. Less harmful substances aren’t as effective, the office said.
The city council said a campaign to educate the public about termite prevention and control is being stepped up.
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
The exterminator Liu Chong used a termite control drug in a household on Yanqing Road on Wednesday.
Yongjia, Anfu and Huaihai Streets – home to a large number of ancient wooden structures – are among the hardest hit areas for termites, according to the Xufang Greenery and Termite Control Center.
“Old mansions with wooden and brick structures are a popular habitat for the pest,” said director Zhang. “We have received calls from landlords from expats at some of these villas to seek help. Some termites in the area have established colonies in trees, parks and gardens by the roadside.”
Zhang and his colleagues were recently called to an old mansion built in the Hunan Road Subdistrict in the 1930s.
“We found that the wooden beam in the villa was gnawed,” said Zhang. “If residents spot large numbers of flying termites at home, it means that the beetles have established colonies there.”
Shanghai Shanghai Greenery Management Station, affiliated with the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau, said it sprayed termites on roadside trees and used technology to track down their nests, which are often in architecture, trees or soil. The office said the insects can kill trees by hollowing them out, increasing the risk of them being overturned in high winds.
In March, the destructive insects were discovered in Jiading District in Guyi Garden, a classic Jiangnan-style garden from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Chemical sprays and powders were applied to about 20 old buildings and 30 trees. Killer baits were also buried underground.
“Some old houses in the garden are made of bricks and wood and are near water,” said Sun Jia, a gardener. “The lush green provides termites with a perfect shady habitat. Some green spaces have been seriously damaged by the beetles.”
The garden is running a three-year termite campaign to eradicate their nests, she said.
The Shanghai Housing Management Bureau has reminded residents to keep the indoor areas dry and clean. Termite-attracting trash should be disposed of and residents should avoid stacking items on stairs and in dark corners, the office said.
Wooden items at home should be checked for infestation, and people can also install window grilles as a precaution, it said.
Residents who discover termite movement can call the 24-hour line 962-121 for assistance. The hotline had received 1,369 calls for help at the end of May.
