Termites in Malaysia: The Complete Guide

What is anai-anai in English?

Anai-anai is the Malay word for termites. In everyday Malaysian English, people often call them white ants, because the workers are pale and about the size of an ant. They are not ants at all: termites are more closely related to cockroaches. In Chinese they are called 白蚁 or 白蚂蚁.

So if you search "anai anai in english" or "termites in malay", the answer is the same insect: termite = anai-anai = white ant = 白蚁. Flying termites, which swarm around lights after rain, are called kelkatu in Malay (and 大水蚁 by many Chinese-speaking Malaysians).

What are termites?

Termites are social insects that feed on cellulose, the material that makes up wood, paper, cardboard and plant matter. They live in colonies that can contain hundreds of thousands of individuals, organised into castes:

• Workers do almost everything: forage for food, build tunnels, feed the rest of the colony. These are the "white ants" you see when you break open damaged timber.
• Soldiers have large, dark heads and strong jaws (or in some species a nozzle that squirts sticky fluid). They defend the colony.
• Reproductives: the king and queen at the centre of the colony, plus winged alates that leave to start new colonies. Read more about the termite queen and nest.

A single worker termite is tiny and harmless. The problem is scale: a colony feeds day and night, all year round, and most of it happens out of sight.

What types of termites are found in Malaysia?

Malaysia's warm, humid climate suits many termite species. For homeowners, they fall into three practical groups:

Most termite treatment in Malaysian homes is aimed at subterranean termites, because they cause the most damage and are the hardest to spot.

How do termites get into a house?

Subterranean termites need moisture and avoid open air, so they travel from the soil to food sources through tunnels. They get into buildings through:

• Cracks in the floor slab and gaps as thin as a credit card
• Expansion joints, and the joint between an original house and a later extension
• Gaps around pipes and cables where they pass through floors and walls
• Timber touching the soil: door frames, fences, planter boxes, decking
• Mud tubes built up the outside of foundations, pillars and walls

Once inside, they move into skirting boards, door frames, kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, parquet and laminated flooring, staircases and roof timbers. Condos and apartments are not immune: termites can reach upper floors through wall cavities, service shafts and planter boxes.

What are the signs of termites?

The most common signs are mud tubes on walls, hollow-sounding timber, soil packed into cracks, frass, discarded wings and holes in garden trees. Many homeowners only notice once damage is visible, which is why an inspection is worth doing whenever you see any of them. See the full list in 7 signs of termites in your house.

Flying termites deserve a special mention. If they swarm inside your home at dusk, a mature colony is nearby, possibly already in the building. Read what flying termites mean.

How much damage can termites do?

Termites eat timber from the inside out, leaving a thin outer shell, so damage often goes unnoticed until a door frame crumbles, a floor sags or a cabinet collapses. In homes we commonly find damage in kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, door and window frames, skirting, flooring and roof structures. In shops and warehouses, termites also eat stock, cartons and pallets.

The longer a colony feeds, the more expensive the repairs. The cost of treatment is usually small compared with the cost of replacing damaged timber and fittings.

How are termites treated in Malaysia?

There are three main approaches. Which one is right depends on whether termites are already active and whether the building is new.

1. Termite baiting (colony elimination). Bait stations are placed in the soil around the building and on active spots inside. Workers carry the bait back to the colony, and the colony gradually dies off. The Sentricon® termite baiting system is the best-known example and our main recommendation for active infestations.
2. Liquid soil treatment. A termiticide barrier in the soil, usually applied during construction before the floor slab is cast. See anti-termite treatment.
3. Spot treatment and DIY sprays. These kill the termites they touch but rarely reach the colony, which is why termites often come back. Read the honest guide on how to get rid of termites.

For an overview of how we approach each job, see termite treatment.

How can you prevent termites?

You can't make a house termite-proof, but you can make it much less attractive:

• Fix leaks and damp spots in kitchens, bathrooms and around air-conditioner pipes
• Keep timber off the soil: firewood, old planks, garden furniture, wooden planter boxes
• Leave a gap between garden beds or mulch and the walls of the house
• Remove dead tree stumps near the house
• Treat the soil before you build or extend, and have the structure inspected before a big renovation
• Don't break mud tubes and walk away: get them inspected so the colony can be found

If you are not sure whether what you see is termites, compare them with ants in termites vs ants, or simply send us a photo.

When should you call a professional?

Call as soon as you see live termites, mud tubes or fresh damage, or if flying termites swarm indoors. Don't spray first: spraying scatters termites and makes the colony harder to find. A free inspection will tell you what you are dealing with, and what affects termite treatment cost explains how jobs are priced.