How we supply it: Anti-termite treatment is arranged through a partner licensed pest control operator who quotes, treats and bills it and pays us a referral commission. We share your excavation and PCC dates with the operator, so each stage is treated just before our 40 mm jalli and M-Sand for that pour arrive.
In one line: Pre-construction anti-termite treatment is soil treatment with a registered termiticide, applied in stages as the foundation and floor are built, to form a chemical barrier between subterranean termites and the structure.
What the treatment protects
Pre-construction anti-termite treatment is soil treatment with a registered termiticide, applied in stages as the foundation and floor are built, to form a chemical barrier between subterranean termites and the structure.
Subterranean termites, கரையான் in Tamil, travel from the soil through cracks as thin as a hair to reach door frames, cupboards and stored paper. The barrier only works if it is unbroken under and around the whole building.
Types of termite protection
| Method | When | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-construction chemical soil treatment | During construction, in stages | IS 6313 (Part 2) |
| Post-construction drill-and-inject treatment | Existing buildings | IS 6313 (Part 3) |
| Treated or naturally resistant timber | Doors, frames, joinery | Timber treatment by the joinery supplier |
| Keeping wood debris out of fills | During construction | Good site practice |
Pre-construction or later?
Treating soil before the floor is laid reaches every square metre under the building. Drilling and injecting later can only reach what the drill holes reach, and it means breaking tiles and skirting.
The extra cost of doing each stage properly is small next to replacing termite-damaged frames and cupboards.
The treatment stages, in order
IS 6313 (Part 2) and the product label set the concentration and the litres per square metre for each stage. Ask for them in writing.
- Foundation trenches: bottom and sides, after excavation and before the PCC bed.
- Backfill against the foundation: treated layer by layer as it is placed.
- Plinth fill: the top of the compacted fill under the ground floor, just before the floor PCC.
- Wall-floor junction: a channel along the inside of the walls, before the floor is laid.
- External perimeter: soil along the outside of the plinth, after construction and before aprons or paving.
- Pipes and conduits entering the building: the soil around them.
What to check with the applicator
- Ask for the operator's pest control licence and the chemical's registration number from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee on the label.
- Get the chemical, dilution and litres per m² for each stage in writing.
- Have someone from your side present at every stage; the treatment is invisible afterwards.
- Make sure treated soil is not dug up again; if it is, have it re-treated.
- Collect a stage-wise record and the warranty letter.
Site precautions
- Chemicals stay with the applicator; do not keep leftovers on site.
- Keep the treatment away from open wells and the sump excavation.
- Avoid treating just before heavy rain; reschedule the stage if a downpour is forecast.
- Workers handling treated soil should wear gloves and wash before eating.
Mistakes that leave gaps in the barrier
- Treating only the trench bottom and calling the job done.
- Leaving the treated plinth fill for weeks while workers dig and dump on it before the floor PCC.
- Skipping the external perimeter once paving goes in.
- Leaving formwork offcuts, wooden pegs and paper bags in the plinth fill; they feed termites.
- Paying a lump sum without a written stage plan.