Village destroyed as termites take over
490 views · Published 1 December 2018 · 5:45 · Indexed 27 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(26 Nov 2018) LEADIN: Termites are eating their way through a village in upper Egypt. Some residents are literally being eaten out of house and home and are being forced to sleep in the street. STORYLINE: These tiny termites are causing big damage in parts of Egypt's Luxor province. In the village of al-Aqalta, more than 500 kilometres (313 miles) south of Cairo, the amount of termite destruction has skyrocketed. Many houses are near to collapse as termites consume wood at an alarming rate. Roofs and doors are often made of wood, some parts of the houses are built with palm trunks and leaves. The termites are forcing some residents onto the streets. Saad Mohammed Hassan and his family are currently homeless after termites destroyed his house. Badri Mahmoud Abuel-Hassan says the current situation is dangerous. "Part (of the roof) has fallen down and killed a cow. We buried her (the cow). The whole roof has fallen down. Sheep and two donkeys were killed." In August, local media reported that the authorities declared a state of emergency in parts of Luxor and Aswan because of largescale termite infestations. Authorities in Luxor stepped-up campaigns to clear out termites from infected areas - eliminating the insects from 215 houses in just 48 hours, according to local media reports. They're using preventive measures including the use of chemically treated wood in building construction. But that's little help to those whose homes are already destroyed. Um Shaban no longer has a roof on her home and says she is too poor to purchase pesticides. Authorities have reportedly blamed some residents for not treating soil before they started building their homes. Some residents are starting to replace wooden doors and roofs with those made from metal. Omar Tamam, professor of Natural Protectorates and wildlife at University of Sadat City, says when an imbalance occurs in the natural order, termite numbers increase. Termites are able to survive for long periods if they find a good piece of wood to nest in. This sometimes means they can be easily be transported in shipping crates, boat timbers, lumber, and furniture. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/8cc2f7bb36d7e0da10ffaf0bf7d65592
