Can a building collapse be caused due to nibbling by ants / cockroaches?

[Nefarious]

Speak to the pros. Meanwhile get some of that powder that kills all types of crawling burrowing insects spread it well all around corners and side of walls.

 

[kris]

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- PRTP GWD

It's ants. They do dig the soil below and bring it out.
Not sure if they can nibble concrete also.... Buy this can become serious problem if not taken seriously

 

[I S I]

Ants & cockroaches won't gonna damage the structure but beware of Termites. The colony of Termites can crack your walls & pillars. The powder type stuff you see could be their aftereffects as chewing wood is their favourite breakfast dinner & lunch.

Get your house fumigated with Fipronil or Agenda bi-flex. If want to get rid of them cheap then buy 'Permethrin 2.5 EC from your nearest agricultural pesticide store & dilute 250ml chemical in 10 litres of water & spray the whole house. I mean whole house. Don't leave any nook or corner. Remove edible items & crockery related stuff. It would be good to shift your family to somewhere else for a day & fumigate the whole house yourself. Use disposable mask & gloves.

 

[313ghazi]

Background: Due to my Mom's habit of hoarding junk (described in below link), it is very difficult to clean the house. Let alone corners, even the center of rooms are inaccessible for sweeping. This has led to ants / cockroaches nibbling at the foundation of the house building since God knows how many years. A lot of sandy textured powder has emerged. What can be seen in below pictures is just a fraction. Will this nibbling by ants / cockroaches weaken the foundation of the house? There is also another floor on top. That puts additional load. Can anything be done to rectify the damage? This is worrying me.

Meanwhile the nibbling continues.

Hoarding junk: Mental illness or individual's nature?

Dear Moderators/Admins, Let this thread be in this section because who knows there may be other people facing similar problem. Is hoarding junk a mental illness or individual's nature? An unacquainted reader may think, "This is not a big issue. Reasoning, explaining and convincing will solve...

defence.pk

- PRTP GWD

Your mum has a serious problem. I thought you were exagerating, but after seeing the pictures clearly there is an issue beyond a typical case of old people not willing to let stuff go.

The ants etc are not going to structurally damage your house, but will cause disease. Although some types of termites can damage wood.

You need to have a proper clear our followed by a deep clean. Does your mum have any older relatives she will listen too? Maybe friends?

 

[Musings]

Spend time with your mum bro.

Cheers, Doc

We may have differences of opinion but when it comes to mothers - we unite and should have the same understanding.
No mother should live in such an unhygienic surrounding. Granted the building may have an infestation issue - the general upkeep cleanliness and litter. I dont know about the OPs relation with his mum but would we allow our mothers to live in such an abode?
No attempt to take a low shot am just shocked at the pics

 

[CIA Mole]

very sad, many our parents have this problem due to growing up in poverty and can’t afford to throw things away

 

[TNT]

Concrete is strong and wont erode easily but man u need some serious cleaning. That is a breeding ground for germs. This develops mutated bacteria, fungus and parasites.

 

[Bossman]

You house is really dirty.

 

[RealNapster]

Background: Due to my Mom's habit of hoarding junk (described in below link), it is very difficult to clean the house. Let alone corners, even the center of rooms are inaccessible for sweeping. This has led to ants / cockroaches nibbling at the foundation of the house building since God knows how many years. A lot of sandy textured powder has emerged. What can be seen in below pictures is just a fraction. Will this nibbling by ants / cockroaches weaken the foundation of the house? There is also another floor on top. That puts additional load. Can anything be done to rectify the damage? This is worrying me.

Meanwhile the nibbling continues.

Hoarding junk: Mental illness or individual's nature?

Dear Moderators/Admins, Let this thread be in this section because who knows there may be other people facing similar problem. Is hoarding junk a mental illness or individual's nature? An unacquainted reader may think, "This is not a big issue. Reasoning, explaining and convincing will solve...

defence.pk

- PRTP GWD

The problem is not that serious. But it seems termites have found a way to your house from beneath soil. You will have to follow this.

Arrange termite spray.

Make a grout of cement plus water. If the holes are more than 1 cm in diameter than add sand also.

In case of cement group use a ratio of 1 to 0.4 means 1 unit cement and 0.4 unit water. Now, drill holes of 2 inches length, 0.5 inch dia along the walls where the problem exist. Drill a hole every 1.5 feet atleast.

spray termite spray in those holes.

Pressure the cement grout in those drilled holes and put a small mortar layer (cement to sand ratio 1:4).

or, hire a contractor and he will do this (or maybe something a little different as per you specific need of the problem) for you.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Background: Due to my Mom's habit of hoarding junk (described in below link), it is very difficult to clean the house. Let alone corners, even the center of rooms are inaccessible for sweeping. This has led to ants / cockroaches nibbling at the foundation of the house building since God knows how many years. A lot of sandy textured powder has emerged. What can be seen in below pictures is just a fraction. Will this nibbling by ants / cockroaches weaken the foundation of the house? There is also another floor on top. That puts additional load. Can anything be done to rectify the damage? This is worrying me.

Meanwhile the nibbling continues.

Hoarding junk: Mental illness or individual's nature?

Dear Moderators/Admins, Let this thread be in this section because who knows there may be other people facing similar problem. Is hoarding junk a mental illness or individual's nature? An unacquainted reader may think, "This is not a big issue. Reasoning, explaining and convincing will solve...

defence.pk

- PRTP GWD

Seems like general cleaning issue. Just clean it. Might take 1 day or so. Like really clean it. Just do it.

 

[Bilal9]

The problem is not that serious. But it seems termites have found a way to your house from beneath soil. You will have to follow this.

Arrange termite spray.

Make a grout of cement plus water. If the holes are more than 1 cm in diameter than add sand also.

In case of cement group use a ratio of 1 to 0.4 means 1 unit cement and 0.4 unit water. Now, drill holes of 2 inches length, 0.5 inch dia along the walls where the problem exist. Drill a hole every 1.5 feet atleast.

spray termite spray in those holes.

Pressure the cement grout in those drilled holes and put a small mortar layer (cement to sand ratio 1:4).

or, hire a contractor and he will do this (or maybe something a little different as per you specific need of the problem) for you.

The way termites come in through concrete is if cracks in the concrete have an opening to the wood inside.

A good cleanup would be the first step. 2nd I'd contract with a pest control contractor for monthly visits and be there myself so they spray pesticide in safe places where children or pets do not play.

Roaches and termites only walk along certain routes (usually cracks and edges of walls and ensuring application of benign pesticide will be helpful.

Ant control is easy. You mix borax powder with a little sugar syrup (look in YouTube for formula) and place in little cups where ants make their 'highway'. The ants eat this mix and they die, eventually they will take this to the queen to eat and she will also die.

YouTube also has other safe pesticide formulas.

Termites are of two types, one is ground dwelling (makes nests in ground) and one is wood dwelling (makes nests inside wood frames). In India this should not be an issue except for financial loss. Load Bearing Structures in houses in India are not made of wood AFAIK.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Background: Due to my Mom's habit of hoarding junk (described in below link), it is very difficult to clean the house. Let alone corners, even the center of rooms are inaccessible for sweeping. This has led to ants / cockroaches nibbling at the foundation of the house building since God knows how many years. A lot of sandy textured powder has emerged. What can be seen in below pictures is just a fraction. Will this nibbling by ants / cockroaches weaken the foundation of the house? There is also another floor on top. That puts additional load. Can anything be done to rectify the damage? This is worrying me.

Meanwhile the nibbling continues.

Hoarding junk: Mental illness or individual's nature?

Dear Moderators/Admins, Let this thread be in this section because who knows there may be other people facing similar problem. Is hoarding junk a mental illness or individual's nature? An unacquainted reader may think, "This is not a big issue. Reasoning, explaining and convincing will solve...

defence.pk

- PRTP GWD

İs your mom trying to become aghori?

Man they should make the next resident evil in your house.

Cheers Doc

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

Oh, indeed. Much like the edifice of American democracy has been nibbled at by ants and cockroaches for many decades until it has reached the verge of collapse we see today. I'd get your issue looked at ASAP, OP.

 

[RealNapster]

The way termites come in through concrete is if cracks in the concrete have an opening to the wood inside

Maybe the issue is not due to termites. The solution I provided solve the terminates issue as well as fill up the holes they come through as well as filling the gap created by the excavated material due to the issue. It's a complete set of solution.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

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