'A never-ending nightmare': Retiree finds termite infestation after moving into brand-new condo

Ever since Leong and her family moved into a newly-built $3 million condominium in May, their evenings have been consumed by the same mentally-draining activity.

It is called 'catching termites,' the 61-year-old retiree, who declined to share her full name, told AsiaOne on Monday (Nov 20).

"We spend up to two hours every day catching the termites and cleaning up the place. Can you imagine how stressed we are?

"These termites only come out in the evenings. Some of them land on our dinner, and I have to throw the food away."

This is one of the many termite encounters Leong has faced since collecting the keys to the newly-built Avenue South Residence along Silat Avenue near Bukit Merah.

She even postponed heart surgery for five months to deal with the infestation that had plagued her four-room condominium.

One of her family members developed an allergy to termites.

"I am not allergic, but my eyes are painful every day from catching the termites," Leong said. "My doctor told me not to touch them, but what can I do? They are all over my house."

"My whole world is collapsing. This is a never-ending nightmare."

Avenue South Residence is a 99-year leasehold property, a joint venture between UOL Group, Singapore Land Group, and Kheng Leong Company. There are 1,074 units in this development.

Wooden fittings from condo developer caused termites: Leong

Besides Leong, several unhappy residents have also taken to a WhatsApp chat group to share their woes about the termite problem.

In several messages seen by AsiaOne, the latest as of Nov 12, the homeowners - some 200 of them in the chat group - shared how these 'scary' insects would appear in their wooden fittings and fixtures.

Leong said that, while she has been dealing with termites for the past seven months, other families who collected their keys earlier have been battling these pesky insects for a longer duration.

The wooden fittings that came with the apartment are behind the termite problem, Leong claimed.

"The developer did not bother much about our concerns until someone sought help from our MP," Leong said. "But even then, they only chose to replace some of the woodwork that they believed was the source of termites.

What happens when 1-year defects liability is up?

Leong also claimed that a pest control company hired by the condo developer told her there were no termite sightings after surveying her unit.

"This was despite me diligently collecting them in Ziploc bags. So much for being a pest control specialist," she added.

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Even though the developer changed the wooden fittings "out of goodwill," the resident is concerned that these replacements are not "termite-treated."

This would result in the termite infestation resurfacing "over and over again".

"There are residents who dare not start their renovation before this issue is resolved with the developer," Leong said.

"We are so worried we will be on our own when the one-year defects liability is up, and have to pay thousands of dollars to rectify issues that shouldn't have arisen in the first place."

Pesky termites difficult to detect: Pest control

The insects seen in Leong's home are flying drywood termites, Esha from Termite Specialist told AsiaOne.

These termites are difficult to detect as they live deep inside wooden furniture and fittings, she said.

"The wooden fittings would have long been infested by termites before they were installed in her home." 

Esha said that they would then surface out in the open by swarming around the affected homes and leave droppings in their wake.

To eradicate these pesky insects, Termite Specialist recommends disposing of the affected items in the home.

Applying drywood treatment to wooden fittings can also prevent termites from festering on them, Esha said.

UOL working with affected home owners on issue

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, UOL Group said that they are aware of termite issues raised in several units at Avenue South Residence, and have attended to them "expeditiously". 

Their actions taken include arranging with the homeowners to inspect the unit, and working with a pest control specialist, as well as the main contractor to investigate the issue. 

“In some cases, the pest control specialist advised us that they did not detect termite issues during the inspection of the unit," a UOL spokesperson said.

"Nevertheless, we would continue to monitor the situation together with the owner and if any issues arise, we would attend to and carry out further investigations on the same." 

In cases where termite issues were detected, UOL said that they would work with the pest control specialist and contractor to implement "treatment regime" recommended by the former. 

These include for the affected cabinetry, and replacing them.

"For replacement of affected cabinetry, lead time is required for taking measurements, fabrication, removal and installation," UOL said. 

"We assure the residents that we will continue to actively engage with the affected owners to address this issue.”

ALSO READ: 'Avoid parquet at balcony area': Man finds hundreds of termites hiding under flat's floor

chingshijie@asiaone.com