Typically, termite control efforts are reserved for private homes and buildings, as well as industrial or business structures owned by companies capable of paying for the cost of termite extermination. Unfortunately, this has all too often meant that at least one type of building has been generally ignored when it comes to termite control and prevention: the publicly owned historic building, of which every city in the world has one.
These buildings are often considered part of the heritage and ancestry of the entire town to which they belong, and most of them are even symbols or landmarks of the area. Yet, frighteningly little goes to their upkeep, in most cases. Governments rarely allot sufficient funds to the preservation of historic buildings, for all that they are often quick to proclaim the importance of such structures. The result is that certain basic procedures of maintenance and upkeep are forgotten when it comes to these buildings, one of the most important ones being checkups for termite infestations and damage.
The problem is not limited to this country. In Shanghai, for instance, engineers are concerned because they estimate a staggering 60% of the city’s historic sites and structures to be infested—and the number is rising. According to the Chinese engineers, who are also talking to termite experts in their area, part of the problem has to do with the heavy use of pine wood and similar building materials at the time the affected buildings were put up—something that holds true for most of the historic buildings in various parts of the US as well. And with global temperatures seeming to be rising steadily due to climate change, the insects are finding ever larger ranges of activity, threatening more and more of the historic wooden buildings in various cities.
All around the world, societies dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage are banding together to call attention to this oversight. Unfortunately, they are still a stark minority. Very few people realise just how bad the damage has been until the old church or museum they grew up seeing suddenly crumbles, the victim of severe termite infestation and elemental damage. It may be time, say those with keener awareness of the problem, for both government authorities and concerned citizens to come together and raise funds for the inspection and preservation of these beautiful pieces of history. The prevention of termite infestations is not even all that expensive, in all honesty, and inspections may even go for free in certain cases, which is why the omissions with these historical structures are so unreasonable. Termite control professionals the world over also recommend looking into other old buildings—even those that are on private property—to ensure that they are not already harbouring swarms of the insects, which may serve as the sources of further colonies in the future.
For more information please visit Termite Inspection Mesa.
