Deemak on Walls — Why Termite Mud Lines Appear and How to Treat Them
Thin brown mud lines on plaster are the most common way Lahore families discover deemak. Here's what they mean, how to check them and how to stop termites coming through your walls.
You move a cupboard, or look behind a curtain, and there it is: a thin, brownish line of mud climbing up the wall. Sometimes it branches like a tree root; sometimes it disappears behind a skirting board or into a door frame. This is the classic picture of deemak on walls — and it is one of the most common reasons Lahore families call us.
The mud line itself does little harm. What matters is what it is connected to: an underground termite colony that is using your wall as a highway to reach wood inside the house.
What are the mud lines on the wall?
Subterranean termites — the main deemak insect in Pakistan — live in the soil and have soft bodies that dry out in open air. To travel safely from the ground to food, workers build mud tubes from soil, chewed wood and saliva. On a wall they look like:
Because tubes are made of local soil, in Lahore they are usually light brown or grey. Behind wallpaper, wall panelling or cupboards they can run for metres before anyone notices.
Why does deemak come through walls?
Concrete and brick are not food for termites, but walls give them hidden routes. The most common entry points we find in Lahore houses:
- Cracks in the ground-floor slab and the joint where the floor meets the wall
- Expansion joints and gaps around water, gas and drain pipes
- Damp walls near bathrooms, kitchens, AC drains or leaking roofs — moisture makes plaster soft and attractive
- Wooden fixtures fixed to walls: wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, skirting, door chaukhats and window frames
- Plaster in contact with garden soil, flower beds or planters against outside walls
- Houses built without anti-termite soil treatment, common in fast-built new homes
How to check if the deemak on your wall is active
- Break open a 2–3 cm section of tube with a key or screwdriver
- Look for small cream-white insects moving inside — that means active
- Check again in 2–3 days: a rebuilt tube means the colony is active
- Tap nearby skirting and door frames — hollow or papery sound means damage
- Look behind cupboards and under sinks on the same wall
- Photograph everything for the technician
Dry, crumbling tubes with no insects may be old — but they still show the building has been attacked once and the colony could return or still be active elsewhere.
What not to do
- Don't scrape off every tube and paint over it. The termites simply build new routes, often inside the wall where you can't see them.
- Don't pour kerosene or spray insecticide on the wall. It kills a few workers in the tube but never reaches the colony in the soil.
- Don't ignore it until the next renovation. Termites behind a wall often reach door frames, cupboards and wooden floors within months.
How deemak on walls is treated
The goal is to cut the colony off from the building and destroy it — not just clean the wall.
- 1InspectionMap every tube, entry crack, damp patch and damaged wood
- 2Drill-fill-sealDrill along floor–wall joints and inject termiticide into the soil below
- 3Wall & wood injectionTreat wall voids, frames and fixtures where tubes enter
- 4Seal & finishClose drill holes and treat cracks so the barrier stays intact
- 5Fix moistureAdvice on leaks, drains and soil touching walls
- 6MonitorFollow-up visit and written warranty
We use non-repellent termiticides: termites can't sense them, so they walk through the treated zone and spread the product to the rest of the colony. Most homes can stay occupied during the work.
For the other warning signs to check, read 9 signs of termites in Lahore homes. Building or extending? Pre-construction termite proofing stops this problem before it starts. Full details on our deemak (termite) control in Lahore page, or book a free inspection.
