Termites and cockroaches are treated completely differently. Here’s how to tell which problem you actually have, and which service you actually need.
How to Tell Which Pest You Actually Have
Termites and cockroaches are easy to confuse for someone who isn’t looking closely, but the signs are distinct once you know what to look for. If you’re seeing visible insects crawling in the kitchen or bathroom, it’s almost certainly general pest control territory — cockroaches, ants, or silverfish. If you’re seeing indirect signs with no visible insects, termites are the more likely culprit.
Signs you have termites: mud tubes (pencil-thick earth tunnels along walls, inside wardrobes or along skirting boards), hollow-sounding wood when tapped, small wings near window sills after monsoon (swarmers), wood that appears to be painted but crumbles when pressed, or doors and windows that have started jamming without an obvious reason.
Signs you need general pest control: visible cockroaches in the kitchen or bathroom, ant trails (particularly near food or moisture), silverfish in bookshelves or under sinks, or evidence of these insects but not structural damage to wood.
How the Treatments Actually Differ
General pest control for cockroaches and ants uses gel baiting and residual spray applied to surfaces and entry points — the chemicals are surface-active and designed to be carried by insects back to their colonies. The technician works on accessible surfaces inside the property. No structural work, no drilling, no damage to the property.
Termite treatment for an existing infestation is fundamentally different. Subterranean termites live in the soil and access the structure through the plinth (the concrete strip at the base of the building). Treating them requires drilling into the plinth at regular intervals — typically every 30-45cm around the perimeter of affected areas — and injecting slow-transfer termiticide into the soil channel below. The chemical spreads through the colony over two to three weeks. The drilled holes are sealed after treatment with matching filler. This is why it’s classified as a construction-adjacent treatment rather than a general pest spray.
Wood treatment is applied separately to exposed or affected timber — door frames, window frames, floor joists where accessible — using a wood-protection chemical that penetrates the surface and discourages future entry.
Why Termite Treatment Costs More Than General Pest Control
Termite treatment’s higher cost reflects the equipment (drilling rigs, injection pumps, termiticide formulations), the labour-intensive process (drilling, injecting, sealing at multiple points across the full perimeter), and the longer service time per property. A general pest control treatment for a 2BHK takes 45-60 minutes; a termite treatment for the same property typically takes two to four hours and involves significantly more technician time.
The chemical cost is also substantially higher. Termiticide formulated for soil injection is a specialist product — it needs to remain active in the soil for an extended period (typically one to two years) and resist degradation in wet monsoon conditions. The per-litre cost is far higher than the gel bait or residual spray used in general pest control.
The Short Version
If you see insects: book general pest control. If you see structural signs (mud tubes, hollow wood, wings): book a termite inspection first. If you’re not sure, call us and describe what you’re seeing — we’ll tell you honestly which service applies rather than defaulting to the more expensive option.
Related Services
Termite Treatment in Nagpur · General Pest Control · All Pest Control Services