Jakarta tops termite prevalence: Experts

JAKARTA (JP): Experts revealed on Tuesday that the capital is the most termite-prone area in the country and has suffered trillions of rupiah in financial losses due to damages caused by the insects.

A professor at the School of Forestry at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Dodi Nandika, said the city's terrain and climate were favorable for termite colonies to grow rapidly.

"The city is located on lowland which has warm air and high humidity," Dodi told The Jakarta Post before speaking at a seminar on termite control organized by chemical company PT Pacific Chemicals Indonesia.

"The farther south you go in the capital, the more termites you find. That's why Bintaro and Pondok Indah in South Jakarta are most vulnerable to termite attacks."

Fewer termites are found in North Jakarta which has salty water because it is located on the coast, Dodi added.

Another expert, Kusu Prahito from the chemical company, said termite invasion in buildings cost the capital Rp 2.52 trillion in 1999 alone.

Dodi said the huge increase in the number of buildings here provided a lot of food sources for the insects.

"Most of some 400,000 buildings built every year in the country are in Greater Jakarta," he said.

However, Dodi said the public had become more aware of the dangers of termites over recent years.

"More building owners, particularly those who are rich, endeavor to control termites," Dodi said.

Dodi said there were several methods that could be used to control termites, including installing a chemical barrier underground to prevent the insects from penetrating a building.

Another common method is to bait termites with environmentally friendly materials that poison the insects.

Sadly, Dodi said, about 40 percent of residences in the capital already had termites.

"The current efforts remain insignificant compared to the rapid growth of the insects."

Dodi added that modest houses built in many housing complexes were most vulnerable to termites mainly because the houses were build with low quality wood.

Indonesia is also one of countries with the highest prevalence of termites, according to Dodi.

"The archipelago makes up about 1.5 percent of the globe, but 10 percent of the termites in the world can be found in the country," he said.

"How can such a blind, slow, and soft insect inflict enormous damages?" Dodi said. (jaw)