Termites create a buzz in the city

The little pests are back again.

With the plum rain season nearly upon us and the mercury hovering between hot and humid, the termites have come roaring back again.

Sometimes also referred to as "white ants," the current weather is an ideal breeding ground for the termites to grow and proliferate.

The wood-devouring pests are back in huge numbers as temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius.

Residents have complained that masses of termites were spotted in their houses, office buildings and even high-rises.

"Hundreds of termites swarmed into my office yesterday. It was awful," claimed Shan Xiaoming on Weibo.

"Termites are so horrible! They can fly as high as 31st floor to enter my room," said Wang Qian, a 25-year-old living in a new high-rise apartment in Baoshan District. Wang said she faced termite problem when she lived in her old house, which was built in the 1950s, but she had no idea they would show up in her newly decorated apartment as well.

House repair centers across the city also reported a surge in reports of termite attacks.

"The phone kept ringing all the time for several days," said an exterminator with the Zhangzhai property management company.

The exterminator asked residents not to panic and avoid using common household pesticides.

Instead, he suggested that residents should fill a basin with water and use a lamp to attract flying termites to trap them. They can also use tapes to seal holes and call professionals to deal with the termites.

The city's house management administration said there will be more termites next month as the weather gets warmer and more humid. Anyone who needs help with termites can call the city hotline 962121.