Termite control in Harat Al Mazloum, Jeddah

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 Harat Al Mazloum

The narrow lanes of Al Mazloum never fully dry, even in the hottest days of summer, and timber in the rawashin and ceilings that never sees direct sun stays damp enough to soften and weaken, becoming a continuous meal for termites. The method is set out in full on the full Termite control page.

The first reason

Timber rawashin and ancient wood on weak coral stone footings

The rawashin here are centuries old, set on footings of coral stone laid with loose joints. Termites eat through the porous stone and hollow out the timber from the inside. The eaten wood may show no sign from the street, but the rawashin carry the weight of upper floors. Collapse of one means the building above will fall.

The second reason

Voids between tightly packed buildings hide spreading colonies

Buildings stand so closely they touch, and the load-bearing walls between them have horizontal gaps centuries old. Termites use these voids to migrate from one building to the next without leaving a trace. Treating one building does nothing to stop the infestation that is already tunnelling next door.

The third reason

Ancient souqs store timber, grain, cloth and goods year round

Souq Al Jami and other covered markets keep spice, grain, wood, cloth and other stored goods on or near the ground. This stock draws termites up from the soil, and a whole souq can become a single undivided colony. Once established, it spreads into the residential buildings above and beside the market.

Landmarks of Harat Al Mazloum

Harat Al Mazloum extends from Bab Makkah eastward to Souq Al Jami and the surrounding streets, and treatment must account for the layout of each lane and the presence of Al Shafi'i Mosque and Baeshen House nearby, because the old stone footings beneath all these landmarks are connected.

Al Shafi'i Mosque
Souq Al Jami
Baeshen House
Bab Makkah
Al Alawi Street

Before treatment

The evidence that decides the treatment

The district lies north of Al Alawi Street inside the wall, on low ground near the sea and port. Humidity is high throughout the year. The old trading souqs such as Souq Al Jami have been active for centuries, and water never fully drains from the lanes.

Mud tubes

Mud tubes in Al Mazloum start in loose coral stone footings and climb through timber rawashin. Inspection requires removing internal linings from the rawashin to see the hollow wood inside.

Discarded transparent wings on a window ledge

Shed wings

Shed wings appear frequently in the souqs and passages because colonies here are old and large, and the wings drift into shops and into goods on display.

A damaged timber frame showing internal galleries

Hollow timber

Hollow timber in the rawashin, ceilings and stall supports cannot be seen from outside because a thin shell of wood remains. Breaking through the shell to inspect risks bringing the ceiling down.

A dark damp patch below a pipe at a wall base

The water source

The water source is the sea and port, the narrow lanes that never fully dry, and the old seepage paths under the stone buildings. Treatment must be continuous and never stop.

Cardboard boxes and timber stacked on a store floor

Cellulose on the floor

Cellulose on the floor includes the loose coral stone footings, the timber rawashin, and the timber ceilings of every storey. The porous stone lets termites straight through into the buried timber.

A concrete joint and a pipe passing through a floor slab

Joints and pipe entries

Joints and pipe entries between tightly packed buildings are highways for colony spread. Sealing these gaps may be impossible when buildings touch and there is no access to the wall between them.

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 Historic Jeddah Municipality

The Historic Jeddah municipality covers the quarters of Al Balad inside the old wall: Al Mazloum, Al Sham, Al Yaman and Al Bahr. The buildings are tall houses of coral limestone and timber rawashin, centuries old, standing shoulder to shoulder on narrow lanes that see little sun, many under restoration or partly vacant. The ground is low and close to the sea and the harbour, humidity stays high through the year, and popular souqs and eateries trade late into the night. Old timber, voids between walls and goods stores create conditions favoured by termites, cockroaches, rodents and wood boring beetles.

Questions about this district

Can old rawashan timber be saved after treatment is begun?

Yes, if treatment starts before the termites have eaten more than half the thickness. Timber that has started to deteriorate may collapse despite treatment. Close inspection determines whether saving the piece is worth the cost.

Why are old souqs like Souq Al Jami far more exposed than residential buildings?

They store spice, grain, wood and goods at ground level, and the gaps between stalls and storage rooms offer protected routes. Termites may eat the timber in stall supports, ceilings and doors without being noticed in the bustle of trade.

Should an entire quarter be treated as one system or each building separately?

Each building must be treated with its surrounding soil, but voids between buildings connect colonies, so effective treatment includes at least the affected building and its immediate neighbours on both sides.

Does the high humidity from the sea decrease further inland into the quarter?

It decreases only slightly, because tightly packed buildings and narrow lanes trap air and prevent drying. Even the lanes furthest from the shore stay damp throughout the year.

Do vacant or restoration-work buildings increase the infestation in occupied ones nearby?

Yes, drastically. Empty buildings with no maintenance become perfect shelter for termites. Unmaintained moisture and exposed wood make them ideal colony sites, and infestations spread from them into occupied buildings.

How many treatments must Al Mazloum have in a year?

At least twice, because moisture and cool nights and available food persist year round. Some colonies may need treatment every three months to prevent re-establishment.

How much does termite control in Harat Al Mazloum 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 Harat Al Mazloum.