Home on Mondays: The Termite Aftermath

From the damage the termites made, the pest control company informed us that the infestation probably started even before we moved in. They identified the type of termites as coptotermes. The nastiest of the lot. They said it probably came from the dead tree across our street. Termites can travel up to 100 feet to find food. The seller of the house admitted that they had not treated the house after the renovation.

We thought the best option was to renovate our kitchen. The cabinet surrounding the sink was totally damaged and there's been a horrible smell in the cabinets. We were hoping to keep the kitchen as it is since I already had the color changed before we moved in. We've been afraid that the countertop might just crash one of these days, so we decided to have it fixed. We also need to have the electrical installation and tiles re-done. 

The pest control company gave us the go ahead to renovate a month ago. They said the colony is dead and it would be safe to renovate. Today the cabinets were demolished. What we were seeing since treatment was done was just the tip of the iceberg. We finally saw the extent of the damage that happened.

This is what we saw during treatment:

And this is what we saw today:

We informed the pest control company and they're coming over this week to treat the area. They said it would be better to treat it before we install new cabinets. I'm so glad that Pixa Company has been reliable and effective at treating the pests in our house (they also took care of the higad situation since it became so gnarly). 

Lesson learned, before buying a house, ask the seller for proof of pest treatment. I remember my Mom regularly had our home treated before. I started having Pixa treat her home three years ago since the pest situation became uncontrollable already. They found three types of termites in her house and different variants of roaches. It's an old house so taking care of it is different ballgame.

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Home on Mondays: The Termites are Almost Gone

Two months ago a cabinet door in the kitchen came off when the contractor was checking something. The hinge wasn't attached to the wall anymore. They said it was likely termites. It was horrific to find out that our new home had termites! We immediately SOS'd the pest control company who's been servicing our childhood homes. They came immediately and said we got the most destructive kind. They started battling the termites just before we went to Bohol. 

The pest control company came several more times in the past two months to check the bait they left. A few weeks ago I discovered that another cabinet door was starting to be unhinged. Good thing the pest control company came a day after and told us that the termites relocated under the sink. They also taught us how to hear the termites while they're gathering food. Here's how they look and sound -

"Do not disturb them," was the one instruction the pest control company gave us. They told us to avoid pounding the area where they were feeding. I was concerned that they were under the sink, but they said it was okay to wash dishes there. They tied the cabinet door so we don't accidentally open it. Well, we reduced kitchen activity altogether so we don't disturb the pests. 

My childhood home is also free of the pests now. They told us there were three kinds when they started working on the house. What we learned is both old and new houses can be infested as long as there's an infestation around your home. We were told that the termites came from the dead tree across our house. They said that termites will look for food within 50 to 100 radius. Don't try to treat them on your own because they will easily move to another area within your home if disturbed. 

I'm glad we got a reliable pest company. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Coptotermes

I'm finally living in my dream home now, but I wasn't counting on living with coptotermes. Termites! A week ago I was surprised to find debris in one of the cabinets. I cleaned it up and didn't think much about it. Last Saturday, the contractor sent a carpenter to fix some things and the cabinet door came away when Sweetie opened it. When they inspected it they came to the conclusion that it was termites. Yikes!

I immediately sent an SOS to the pest control company who's been servicing my Mom's home. They sent someone to inspect today and they confirmed that it was termites. They even saw some insects and said that it's the most destructive among the 4 common varieties that plague houses. They did say that it looks like it's still pretty new, but be wary because they bite! The good thing is it's only in that corner for now and it was detected early enough. 

This photo was taken late last year. It's now a gubat!

I guess that's the drawback in buying a renovated old home. The crew told us though that it may have come from the bamboo also. We'll never truly know and the best recourse is to address it immediately. Most of the materials of our home are "yummy for termites". We weren't there when the old house was renovated and we're just discovering all the materials used for the house. My friend who is a contractor said not to worry for now because I can just upgrade later on when things deteriorate. 

Well, now I really have an excuse to get the kitchen the way I want it. I've been browsing on Pinterest on functional features that will be useful for the upgrade. I'm still very undecided on how it should look haha. A friend though advised not to use granite because it apparently causes cancer (also quartz!). She said it's better to use synthetic. 

I super loved the clean, white look of the kitchen in our last apartment in Singapore.
I'm kinda torn between this and mixing in some color. Definitely want something neutral.

We have to resolve the pest issue first before doing any work. Good thing we discovered this before it got out of hand. I remember my Mom used to DIY pest control in her home. At some point it got out of hand, so I got an expert to address the issue. Most of the original materials used in her home are still intact. Her wood floors are much better actually than ours. The engineer who inspected the house said it's still looks good. I hope to be able to take care of my home like how my Mom did. We told Miggy though to force us to move to a smaller home when we become too old for a bigger space.

Well, Mondays are supposed to cover home, dreams and wishes. I know it's a headache to deal with pest issues, but I see it as a blessing. It's good we discovered it now than when it's wreaked more havoc. It's also good we've been working with a trusted partner for pest control (found them through a trustworthy friend). Well, as Kulas of Becoming Filipino always says, "Power on!"

P.S. My friend, Boss, pointed out that there is a miracle everyday. There is! So I thought I'd add clips of nice things we can reflect on everyday. Here's one from GodWhispers today -

#BeKind #StaySafe