Hangzhou declares war on termites in scenic spots
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To protect wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the “white ants,” workers spray pesticides in susceptible areas according to the evaluation of all wooden structures.
Ti Gong -
To protect wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the “white ants,” workers spray pesticides in susceptible areas according to the evaluation of all wooden structures.
Ti Gong -
To protect wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the “white ants,” workers spray pesticides in susceptible areas according to the evaluation of all wooden structures.
Ti Gong -
To protect wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the “white ants,” workers spray pesticides in susceptible areas according to the evaluation of all wooden structures.
Ti Gong -
To protect wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the “white ants,” workers spray pesticides in susceptible areas according to the evaluation of all wooden structures.
Ti Gong
A colony of termites invaded the buildings and woods in Hangzhou during the summer, causing heated discussion on social media, but the local government has already implemented a strategy to eradicate the pests.
In efforts to protect age-old wooden buildings and forests from the potential danger of the "white ants" around West Lake and the Xixi Wetland, local officials launched a three-year plan to control and prevent the bugs on August 16.
Termites mainly eat dead plants, wood, leaf litter, cellulose and animal dung and often called "white ants" because of their appearance. They are not scientifically classified as ants, though their colonization patterns are similar. In fact, ants are a chief predator of termites which prefer humid, warm and quiet places.
The city's lush vegetation and heavy rainfall this month provide a favorable environment to termites. According to a local authority survey, the lake and wetland pose a potentially dangerous situation since there are five termite varieties living in the area.
In the next three years, departments will spray pesticides appropriate to their evaluation of all wooden structures, including temples, waterfront promenades, pavilions, archways and woods in an area of about 110,000 square meters.
Also, departments have already installed about 2,000 monitors to track down termites. Once discovered, they will be culled within 24 hours. Workers will patrol around designated spots periodically in a bid to control the termites.
Local departments will also offer citizens online access to professional pest control assistance, including registered termite prevention organizations and companies.
According to government statistics, West Lake boasts more than 700 old trees, most of which are assessed to be older than 100 years and are vulnerable to termites. For many years, Hangzhou government has employed a group of professionals to protect the city's old trees in an effort to preserve such "living proof" of Hangzhou.
In 2017, Zhejiang government issued its Old Tree Protection Regulation to designate protected areas of trees according to their ages. Now, the three-year plan is expected to protect centuries-old trees much better with scientific methods.
