Yishun resident says flat infested with termites a month after neighbour’s flat was affected

Yishun resident says termites suddenly swarmed his bedroom

A resident in Yishun has reported a sudden termite infestation in his flat, about a month after a neighbour’s home was also affected.

Now, the termites have seemingly spread to his flat, he told Shin Min Daily News.

Termites in neighbouring Yishun flat successfully eradicated

66-year-old retiree Huang Jincai and his 62-year-old wife Hong Yuezhen (both names transliterated from Mandarin), have been living on the 12th floor of Block 253 Yishun Ring Road for 20 years, they told the Chinese daily.

They never had any termite problems during this time, but last month, their neighbour on the same floor had a termite infestation.

The authorities had called in pest control to spray pesticide in the neighbour’s house, successfully eradicating the pests.

Sudden termite infestation in bedroom

However, a sudden termite infestation appeared in one of the elderly couple’s bedrooms a few weeks later.

A Shin Min reporter who visited the flat observed that the affected bedroom had a wardrobe, wine cabinet and massage chair.

Mr Huang said: “The wardrobe is divided into two sections. One side has no termites, while the other is full of them. I don’t even dare to take out the clothes inside.”

There are also termites in the wine cabinet, he added.

Signs of termites were seen in the wardrobe and wine cabinet, along with nearby soil-like piles.

They were also spotted on the corridor wall.

Exterminators called over termite infestation

Mr Huang informed his daughter, who engaged pest control to remove the termites.

On 21 Oct, exterminators inspected his home and placed poison under the wine cabinet so the termites would consume it and die.

They also shut the bedroom door and blocked the gap underneath with a towel, advising them not to enter the room until the termites are gone.

They will return to check on the situation next week, but estimated that it would take four to five months to completely get rid of the termites.

The family has already spent over S$1,000 on the treatment, Mr Huang said.

Yishun resident concerned about possible nests

According to Mr Huang’s observations, he believes the termites entered his bedroom by crawling through cracks in the corridor wall outside the unit.

He feared that the termites may have nests elsewhere, considering they also appeared at his neighbour’s flat, so they could return even after removal.

He hoped the authorities could help check for termite nests in the surrounding area and completely resolve the termite problem.

“Our grandchildren sometimes stay over with us, and we haven’t told them about the termites yet,” he said. “We hope it won’t affect them.”

Another Yishun neighbour also had termites

A neighbour, 71-year-old retiree Mdm Cai (transliterated from Mandarin), said she had asked the town council to help with her termite problem after approaching it about a water leak.

She had suddenly discovered a large number of termites in one of the bedrooms last month and informed the town council.

The termites did not reappear after her flat was sprayed with pesticides in early October, she added.

Termites may take months to eliminate

Mr Jiang Wen (transliterated from Mandarin), a pest control expert from All Pest Management, said the termites in Mr Huang’s home are subterranean termites, the most aggressive type.

They leave soil-like deposits on cabinets and walls when they invade, and their colonies can number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, allowing them to quickly destroy wood.

He also pointed out that spraying pesticides is only a temporary solution and cannot destroy the termite nest.

“The most effective method is to leave poison so the termites will carry it back to their nest, which can eliminate the entire colony,” he added.

However, this process also takes several months, he noted.

MS News has reached out to Nee Soon Town Council for more information.

Also read: S$8K worth of furniture damaged after termites from electrical room invade Choa Chu Kang home

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.