A pest control technician checking the base of a concrete wall with a torch

Termite control in Al Misfalah Makkah

Al Misfalah is the low ground that falls away south of the Grand Mosque along Ibrahim Al Khalil Street, named for its descent from the mosque. Tall old apartment buildings stand shoulder to shoulder as lodgings for Hajj and Umrah visitors, with restaurants and shops beneath them, and older quarters such as Al Kakiyah and Qawz Al Nakasah reach out toward Jabal Sharaf behind. The constant moisture, ancient timber and shallow footings on low ground make termite infestation almost inevitable.

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Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Misfalah

The dense popular quarters behind Al Misfalah and Al Taqwa are crowded, with shops and restaurants on the ground floors, aged drainage that leaks constantly, and old timber in ceilings, stairs and foundations that has never fully dried. The method is set out in full on the full Termite control page.

The first reason

Very old buildings on shallow footings in low wet ground

Al Misfalah occupies the oldest quarter of modern Makkah, buildings date from the earliest decades, and footings were dug to minimal depth in low ground near the paths of old flash floods. Termites need not dig deep to reach footings. The timber in these buildings is weakened by age and perpetual dampness.

The second reason

Dense popular quarters behind hold an inexhaustible reservoir

The dense popular quarters behind Al Misfalah and Al Taqwa are crowded, apartments are small, shops and restaurants occupy ground floors. Food, goods and timber are abundant. Termite colonies from these quarters can migrate toward Al Misfalah and the hotels, and vice versa.

The third reason

Aged drainage and ancient seepage paths keep soil persistently wet

Drainage networks here are very old, many pipes are cracked or blocked. Old seepage paths from the mountains run through the soil. Soil moisture in this zone is higher than anywhere else in Makkah.

The character of Al Misfalah

Apartment district: residential blocks, repeated floors and shared entrances

Al Misfalah is an apartment and small hotel district with buildings that are very old and footings that are very shallow, and the dense popular quarters behind it are crowded with shops, restaurants and stores.

Before treatment

The evidence that decides the treatment

Al Misfalah descends south of the Haram on Ibrahim Al Khalil Street and extends to Jabal Sharaf to the south. Buildings are old and tightly packed, streets are very narrow. The ground is low, close to old seepage paths, and the water table is high.

Mud tubes

Mud tubes in Al Misfalah start in very wet soil and climb through old building footings. Inspection must cover deep soil and gaps between buildings.

Discarded transparent wings on a window ledge

Shed wings

Shed wings appear frequently in hotels and flats because colonies are old and massive. Wings may appear everywhere.

A damaged timber frame showing internal galleries

Hollow timber

Hollow timber in footings, walls and ceilings may become a structural hazard quickly. Old buildings may need bracing.

A dark damp patch below a pipe at a wall base

The water source

The water source is cracked aged drains, ancient seepage paths and a high water table. The only solution is drainage repair combined with continuous treatment.

Cardboard boxes and timber stacked on a store floor

Cellulose on the floor

Cellulose on the floor includes footings, walls, ceilings and timber in old quarters. Old timber is very abundant.

A concrete joint and a pipe passing through a floor slab

Joints and pipe entries

Joints and pipe entries between tightly packed buildings are fast highways for termite spread. Sealing gaps may be difficult in old buildings.

How we work

1
Inspect and trace

We sound the timber and the skirting, take moisture readings, and follow the tubes to the point where they leave the soil. We also settle the species, because one that lives inside dry wood is not treated like one that lives in the ground.
2
Treat the soil around the building

A narrow trench at the footing and injection at regular spacing, so the treated band runs continuous with no gap to walk around.
3
Drill the joints, inject the timber

Small holes at spacing along the slab joints, the wall bases and the pipe entries, direct injection into the galleries inside the affected timber, then the holes are closed and made good.
4
Bait stations and monitoring

Stations in the soil carrying a slow-acting material the workers pass through the colony by mouth-to-mouth feeding, and we come back to read them, because an empty tube on a wall proves nothing on its own.

What termite control includes

A traced, recorded inspection

Sounding, moisture readings, tubes traced back to the soil, and the species settled before anything is applied.
A treated band at the perimeter

Trenching and injection at the footing, spaced so the band is continuous rather than a set of patches.
Joints and service penetrations

Slab joints, pipe entries and floor drains, which are the ways up through the concrete.
Bait stations in the soil

A slow material carried back through the colony by feeding exchange, rather than stopping the workers at the wall.
Aftercare instructions

What not to dig or water near the treated band, what to keep off the walls, and the ventilation time we set for your case.
Scheduled monitoring visits

Reading the stations, sounding the same timber again, and treating any new activity.

What is different about Al Misfalah Sub-Municipality

Al Misfalah sub municipality runs downhill from the south of the Grand Mosque through Al Misfalah, Kudai and Al Rawabi to Al Taqwa, Al Hindawiyah, Al Khalidiyah and Al Rusayfah at the third ring road. The northern end is old apartment blocks and pilgrim hotels with restaurants along Ibrahim Al Khalil Street and the huge coach parks at Kudai. The south and west are dense popular districts with countless small shops and unplanned hillside housing, some of it already cleared for redevelopment, giving way to orderly land grant schemes in Al Rusayfah beside the railway station.

Questions about this district

Can very old buildings in Al Misfalah be saved from termite damage?

They may be, if treatment begins early. If damage exceeds half the thickness of load-bearing timber, saving it is not economical. Close inspection is essential.

Are the hotels in Al Misfalah more exposed than residential flats?

Yes. Hotels contain more timber and more water movement. Water use in the hotels is continuous day and night and humidity is high.

Do old broken drainage pipes make treatment impossible?

No, but they make it very complex. We need immediate treatment, soil isolation and footing protection, and drainage repair if possible.

Do termites migrate from the popular quarters into the hotels and back?

Yes. The soil beneath them is continuous and termites move horizontally through soil as easily as they climb. Treating only the hotel will not stop infestation from the quarter behind it.

Why are old quarters such as Al Kakiyah more exposed?

They contain older, weaker timber and older drainage. Termite colonies already live deep in these old lanes.

How often must Al Misfalah be treated each year?

At least three times, because moisture is continuous and colonies can re-establish quickly. Al Misfalah is a very high-risk zone.

How much does termite control in Al Misfalah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Misfalah.