Termite Damage in India & What the Indian Standard Requires — Statistics 2026
A sourced reference on how termites damage buildings in India, how long a colony takes to become destructive, and exactly what IS 6313 — the Bureau of Indian Standards code for anti-termite measures — says about chemicals, dilutions and litres per square metre. Compiled for householders, builders, architects and journalists who need the figures with the source attached.
Key findings at a glance
- Termite damage worldwide has been estimated at more than US$40 billion; a 2017 status paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India found at least 13 termite species from 3 families closely associated with structural damage in India.
- The Bureau of Indian Standards puts India’s termite count at about 220 of the world’s 2,300-plus species — most of them not serious pests.
- A colony’s reproduction rate rises sharply only after 2–3 years, and the Standard states that very little damage normally occurs in under 8–10 years — which is why a termite problem in a new house usually means the soil was heavily infested before construction.
- IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022 permits three termiticides for soil treatment: chlorpyrifos 20 EC at 1.0 %, imidacloprid 30.5 SC at 0.075 %, and bifenthrin 2.5 EC at 0.05 % active ingredient. Lindane was removed in 2013.
- The Standard’s own worked example shows a 1,000 m² plinth on masonry foundations needs about 9,360 litres of chemical solution across five treatment stages — roughly 9.4 litres per square metre of plinth.
- For an existing building, IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001 specifies 7.5 litres per m² of vertical foundation surface to 300 mm depth, and drilled injection holes at 300 mm intervals along floor–wall junctions.
- How big is the termite problem?
- Why termite damage takes years to show
- Which chemicals the Indian Standard permits
- How much solution a pre-construction treatment really needs
- Rates for existing buildings (post-construction)
- How the Standard says to detect termites
- What this means for households and builders in Surat
- Methodology and sources
1. How big is the termite problem?
Most termite figures quoted online cannot be traced to a document. The ones below can.
| Figure | Value | Source (see list at the end) |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated termite damage worldwide | More than US$40 billion | Chatterjee, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. India Sect. B (2017) |
| Termite species associated with structural damage in India | At least 13 species, 3 families | Same paper |
| Key structural pest species in India | Heterotermes indicola (family Rhinotermitidae) | Same paper |
| Termite species worldwide / found in India | Over 2,300 / about 220 | IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Annex B; IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Annex A |
| Species documented in India / known to harm structures and crops | 337 / 35 | Sharma, Preprints.org (2024), citing Murthy et al. (2015) — see caveat |
| Share of substantial timber-structure damage cases attributed to H. indicola, 2009–2021, in surveyed northern and eastern states | 90 % | Sharma, Preprints.org (2024) — see caveat |
Sources: as listed in each row. The 2017 status paper is the most-cited Indian academic reference on structural termites.
What termites actually eat
Both parts of IS 6313 open with the same warning: termites feed on cellulose, so timber, furniture, furnishings, clothing and stationery are all food. In searching for food they also damage non-cellulosic materials — the Standard lists rubber, leather, plastics, neoprene and the lead sheathing on underground cables. Subterranean (ground-nesting) termites are described as “most destructive and mainly responsible for the damage caused in buildings”; a mature colony can contain “a population running into millions.”
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022 and IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Foreword.
2. Why termite damage takes years to show
The Standard’s short note on termite biology (Annex B of Part 2, Annex A of Part 3) gives a timeline that surprises most property owners:
| Stage | What the Standard says |
|---|---|
| Swarming (nuptial flight) | Winged adults emerge “particularly after a few warm days followed by rain”, at any time during the monsoon or post-monsoon period. Most perish; survivors pair, shed wings and found a colony. |
| Year 1 | The queen “produces a few eggs in the first year”; the first brood is workers only. |
| Years 2–3 | “The rate of reproduction, however, increases rapidly after 2–3 years.” |
| Under 8–10 years | “Very little damage may occur in a period less than 8–10 years.” |
| Serious damage in a new building | Attributed to “heavy infestation in the initial stage due to large population of termites existing in the soil before the building is constructed.” |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Annex B (B-2); IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Annex A (A-2).
Two practical consequences follow. First, the soil under a building matters more than the building itself — which is why the Standard’s pre-construction treatment is a soil treatment. Second, a building that shows damage in its first few years was almost certainly built on already-infested ground, and a post-construction treatment will need to address that soil, not just the affected woodwork.
3. Which chemicals the Indian Standard permits
IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022 — the fourth revision, published February 2022 — lists exactly three chemicals for soil treatment. Table 1 of the Standard gives the concentration and the dilution:
| Chemical (formulation) | Indian Standard for the product | Active ingredient in working solution | Dilution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorpyrifos 20 % Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) | IS 8944 | 1.0 % | 250 ml in 5 litres of water (50 ml per litre) |
| Imidacloprid 30.5 % Suspension Concentrate (SC) | IS 16131 | 0.075 % | 10.5 ml in 5 litres of water (2.1 ml per litre) |
| Bifenthrin 2.5 % Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) | IS 15936 (technical grade; no EC standard yet) | 0.05 % | 100 ml in 5 litres of water (20 ml per litre) |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Table 1 (Clause 5.3.1) and Note 3.
Three points in the Standard’s notes deserve quoting because they are often misrepresented in sales material:
- The chemicals are described as registered with the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC), and “the chemicals from the above table as available in the CIB RC’s approved list at any point of time, shall only be used.” There is no “WHO-approved” or “EPA-approved” list in the Indian Standard; the regulatory anchor in India is CIB&RC under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
- The chemicals “are regarded highly poisonous” and can harm health “when absorbed through the skin, inhaled as vapours or spray mist or swallowed.” Handling precautions are a full annex of the Standard.
- Use “should be avoided where there is any risk of wells or other water supplies becoming contaminated.”
How the permitted list has changed
| Revision | Change |
|---|---|
| 2001 (Part 3) | Chlorpyrifos 20 EC and Lindane 20 EC, both at 1.0 %, for existing buildings. |
| 2013 (Part 2, third revision) | Lindane removed; imidacloprid introduced; use of watering cans for chemical application dispensed with. |
| 2022 (Part 2, fourth revision) | Bifenthrin added; Annex C worked calculations for masonry, RCC, pile and raft foundations added. |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Foreword; IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Clause 4.1.
4. How much solution a pre-construction treatment really needs
This is the part of the Standard almost nobody publishes, and the part that lets a buyer check whether a treatment quotation is realistic. Part 2 prescribes application rates per surface, and Annex C (informative) works them through for a 50 m × 20 m building — a 1,000 m² plinth.
Prescribed rates
| Surface | Rate |
|---|---|
| Bottom and sides of foundation trenches / excavated soil surface | 5 litres per m² |
| Vertical surfaces of foundation walls, columns and plinth beams (backfill in contact) | 7.5 litres per m² |
| Top surface of plinth filling (under the floor) | 5 litres per m² |
| External periphery, to 300 mm depth | 7.5 litres per m² of vertical surface |
| Termite mound found on site | About 4 litres per 1 m³ of mound |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Clauses 5.2, 6 and Annex C.
Annex C worked example — masonry foundation, 1,000 m² plinth
| Treatment stage | Calculation in the Standard | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trench bottom and sides | 200 m² × 5 l/m² + 140 m × 0.3 m × 2 sides × 5 l/m² | 1,420 litres |
| 2. Backfill against foundation walls | 140 m × 0.5 m × 2 sides × 7.5 l/m² | 1,050 litres |
| 3. Junction of wall and floor | 140 m × 1.5 m × 7.5 l/m² | 1,575 litres |
| 4. Top surface of plinth filling | 1,000 m² × 5 l/m² | 5,000 litres |
| 5. External periphery | 140 m × 0.3 m × 7.5 l/m² | 315 litres |
| Total | 9,360 litres |
Concentrate needed for those 9,360 litres
| Termiticide | Concentrate for 1,000 m² plinth (masonry) |
|---|---|
| Chlorpyrifos 20 % EC | 468.00 litres |
| Imidacloprid 30.5 % SC | 19.64 litres |
| Bifenthrin 2.5 % EC | 187.20 litres |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022, Annex C, C-1.3 and C-1.4. The Standard gives parallel calculations for RCC foundations (total concentrate 383.87 l chlorpyrifos or 153.55 l bifenthrin for the same plinth), and for pile and raft/basement foundations.
5. Rates for existing buildings (post-construction)
IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001 covers buildings that are already occupied. Its minimum rates:
| Location | Method in the Standard | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Soil outside external foundation walls | Shallow channel along the wall; rod with 12 mm rods at 150 mm spacing to reach 300 mm depth | 7.5 l/m² of vertical surface — 1.75 l per running metre in the channel plus 0.5 l per running metre on the backfill |
| Where a concrete or masonry apron surrounds the building | 12 mm holes drilled close to the plinth wall at 300 mm spacing, to reach soil | 2.25 litres per linear metre |
| RCC foundations — column sides and plinth beams | Trench to 300 mm or to the bottom of the plinth beam | 7.5 l/m² of vertical surface |
| Under floors — at floor/wall junctions, construction and expansion joints, visible cracks | 12 mm vertical holes at 300 mm intervals, hand pressure pump | Until refusal, maximum 1 litre per hole, then sealed |
| Voids in masonry at plinth level | Holes at ~45° downward, both sides where possible, ~300 mm intervals; also at wall corners and door/window frames | Until refusal, maximum 1 litre per hole |
| Woodwork in contact with floor or walls | 6 mm holes at ~45° at the wood–masonry junction | Until refusal, maximum 0.5 litre per hole |
| Infested frames, shelves, purlins not needing replacement | ~3 mm holes with a downward slant, at least 150 mm centre-to-centre over the whole frame; two coats on unpainted surfaces | “Liberally infused” |
| Woodwork damaged beyond repair | Replace; dip or brush new timber at least twice with the chemical in oil or kerosene | — |
Source: IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Clauses 5.3.1.1 to 5.3.2.2.
The Standard also states the outcome honestly: “If there are signs of reinfestation after treatment, it may be necessary to repeat appropriate treatment”, and “periodical inspection and vigilance are necessary” during subsequent hot and humid seasons. In other words, the Indian Standard itself does not describe termite treatment as a one-time permanent fix.
6. How the Standard says to detect termites
Annex D of Part 3 is a short field guide. The signs it lists, in the Standard’s own order of reliability:
- Shelter tubes (mud runways) — “There is nothing as certain as termite runways to establish that infestation exists.” New tubes are moist and strong; old ones brittle. The Standard advises not destroying runways during inspection.
- Discarded wings after a swarm — “a positive indication of a well established termite colony nearby.”
- Hollow sound on tapping timber, or a probe sinking into wood that looks intact — termites “are known to eat away a board completely leaving only the film of paint on the surface.”
- Damp locations first: bathrooms, toilets, kitchen sinks, leaking pipes, and any point where a wooden frame is embedded in floor or masonry.
- Multi-storey buildings: if activity is found on one floor, inspect every floor — termites travel between floors “under cover through lift wells or casings covering electric wiring, telephone cables, utility pipes.”
Source: IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001, Annex A (A-3) and Annex D.
7. What this means for households and builders in Surat
We treat termites across Surat and South Gujarat, and the pattern the Standard describes matches what we see on site: swarms after the first warm-then-wet days of the monsoon, damage that surfaces years after occupation, and entry through the wet rooms and the door frames. None of that is a statistic, so we label it as field experience.
What the documents above do support:
- If you are building, ask for the treatment to be quoted stage by stage against IS 6313 (Part 2), with the chemical named, the dilution stated and the litres per square metre shown. Annex C gives you the arithmetic to check it. A treatment that skips the plinth-top stage is skipping more than half the solution the Standard expects.
- If you already have termites, expect drilling at roughly 300 mm intervals along floor–wall junctions and at frames, and expect the operator to treat the soil outside the foundation as well as the woodwork inside. Treating only the visible damage is not what Part 3 describes.
- Ask which registered product is being used. The Indian Standard lists three for soil treatment and points to the CIB&RC register as the authority. Claims of “WHO-approved” or “EPA-approved” termite chemicals have no basis in the Indian code.
- Do not expect a permanent guarantee. The Standard itself calls for periodic inspection and, where termites reappear, repeat treatment. Our approach is the same: find where they get in, treat it properly to the Standard’s rates, and come back if they return.
8. Methodology and sources
Every figure on this page was taken directly from the documents below, which we retrieved and read in full or in the cited sections on 4 September 2026. Where a figure is quoted from a secondary source (the 2024 preprint), we say so in the table. Where a widely-repeated figure could not be traced to an original document, we left it out and said so. We have not adjusted, averaged or estimated any number. Rates from the Standard are minimum rates; site conditions can require more. If you use these figures, please cite the original document named in each row, not this page.
- Bureau of Indian Standards. IS 6313 (Part 2) : 2022 — Anti-termite Measures in Buildings — Code of Practice, Part 2: Pre-Constructional Chemical Treatment Measures (Fourth Revision). New Delhi, February 2022. Foreword; Clause 5.3 and Table 1; Clauses 5.2 and 6; Annex B; Annex C.
- Bureau of Indian Standards. IS 6313 (Part 3) : 2001 — Code of Practice for Anti-termite Measures in Buildings, Part 3: Treatment for Existing Buildings (Second Revision). New Delhi, December 2001. Clauses 4.1, 5.1–5.3.3, 6; Annexes A, C and D.
- Chatterjee, D. (Division of Entomology, ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute). “Termites as Structural Pest: Status in Indian Scenario.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, published online 4 January 2017 (vol. 88, no. 3, p. 977). Abstract. The 2024 preprint cites this paper as Mahapatro & Chatterjee (2018), the print-issue year.
- Sharma, P. “Biological Control Strategies for Termite Management.” Preprints.org, 29 March 2024 (preprint, not peer-reviewed), citing Murthy et al. (2015) and Mahapatro & Chatterjee (2018).
Termite control in Surat — how we treat to IS 6313