[Home Tips] How to deal with wood floor insect infestation to prevent the spread?

🕵️♀️ Editor’s observation: Why are wooden floors in Hong Kong prone to insect infestation?

Hong Kong's humid and warm climate creates an ideal environment for wood pests. The most common wood flooring pests include:

• Powderpost Beetles 🪲: Chew on wood fibers, leaving behind particles of powder.
• Termites 🐜: They eat away at the inside of wood, leaving the surface intact but the inside hollow.
• Wood ants/carpenter bees : Although rare, they can dig holes to build nests.

The main causes are:

1. Humid environment 🌧
   • The humidity in Hong Kong has been above 70% for a long time, which increases the moisture content of wood and makes it easier to attract pests.
2. The wood itself carries insect eggs🥚
   • Low-quality or untreated wood may harbor insect eggs.
3. There are termite sources in the neighboring units/ground🏢
   • Termites can invade through wall cracks, foundations, and pipes.
4. Dust and water accumulate at the bottom of the wooden floor💧
   • Long-term humidity and lack of ventilation create a breeding ground for pests.

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⚠️ Editor's reminder: The dangers of wood flooring insect infestation

• Structural damage : Wooden floors become loose and collapse, even affecting furniture and door frames.
• Rapid spread : Termite colonies can quickly spread throughout the woodwork of a house.
• High maintenance cost : In severe cases, the entire house needs to be renovated.

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🛠 Editor's Guide: Stop the Spread + Cure

Step 1: Identify the insect species

1. Observe the powder color and shape
   • Light yellow fine powder → Wood borer
   • White debris + mud tube → termites
2. Check the size of the hole
   • Less than 2mm → Wood borer
   • Irregular holes + wet mud line → termites

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Step 2: Immediate first aid (to prevent spread)

1. Isolate the affected area🚧
   • Seal the affected floorboards with film to prevent the infestation from spreading to other wood.
2. Cleaning insect powder 🧹
   • Use a vacuum cleaner to suck away the insect powder so that you can easily observe whether new powder appears.
3. Reduce humidity 💨
   • Turn on a dehumidifier or air conditioner to remove moisture and keep the indoor humidity below 60%.

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Step 3: Targeted treatment

1️⃣ Wood borer treatment

• Local injection method💉
  • Use a syringe to inject a special wood insecticide (containing bifenthrin or borate) into the wormholes.
• Surface application🖌
  • Apply insect repellent wood wax or insecticide to the affected area to prevent new insects from invading.

2️⃣ Termite treatment

• Professional ant extermination company 🛠
  • Use termite bait stations (containing slow-acting toxins) and have the worker ants carry them back to the nest to kill the entire nest.
• Chemical barrier🔰
  • Spray special termite medicine on the floor and corners to form a protective layer.

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Step 4: Long-term defense

1. Floor moisture-proof upgrade
   • Add moisture-proof pads and insect-proof film when installing the floor.
2. Regular check- ups🔍
   • Check the baseboards and floor crevices every 3-6 months for new powder or mud tubes.
3. Keep the air circulating 🌬
   • Prevent the bottom of the floor from being damp for a long time.
4. Furniture insect repellent🪑
   • Wooden furniture should also be coated with insect-repellent wax to prevent it from becoming a new source of insects.

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Step 5: Preventing foreign invasions

• Check before moving in new wood furniture
  • Make sure there are no wormholes and powder.
• My neighbor has termites and we need to jointly deal with them
  • Termites can spread across walls, requiring the collaboration of an entire floor or building.

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🔍 Editor's Tip: Key Points for Pest Control on Hong Kong Wooden Floors

• The wet season (March to October) is the active period for wood borers and termites, so monitoring should be strengthened.
• Early detection is better than extensive renovations later on.
• When dealing with termites, do not remove the flooring randomly, otherwise it will alarm the ants and cause the disease to spread faster.
• Moisture-proofing and insect-proofing must be done at the same time, otherwise it will only be a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution.

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📝 Editor's Summary

Wood flooring infestation in Hong Kong can be a real nuisance once it breaks out, but you only need to:

1. Early detection of signs of insect infestation (insect powder, mud tubes, holes)
2. Instant isolation + dehumidification treatment
3. Use targeted medication or find a professional pest control specialist
4. Long-term moisture and insect prevention measures

It can effectively prevent the spread and keep the floor and house structure safe🏠✨.