BIO-security officers have dusted 236 houses and 183 trees in Lautoka as they battle termites.
Twelve Operation Kadivuka teams are at work in various parts of the Sugar City, dusting affected properties with Termidor, a chemical proven to be effective in controlling termite infestation.
According to divisional bio-security officer Western, Lemeki Ratucicivi, the response from the public so far has been positive.
"All the homeowners concerned cannot contain their joy when they see us. However, a lot of them are also asking us when their homes will be repaired. This, obviously can't be done for at least another eight weeks, after the effectiveness of the dusting program has been determined," he said
The dusting program begins with a sketch of the affected property, with careful attention paid to the areas with obvious signs of degradation before the Termidor dust is applied.
"The reason for the detailed sketch is so that when we revisit the property after four weeks, we can refer to the sketches to see if the termites have moved to another area of the house," Mr Ratucicivi explained.
He also said the 12 teams in operation are working to ensure that dusting of all properties is completed by December.
"There is a vast area to cover and I really want to thank the bio-security officers, they're not even stopping for a lunch break because they are determined to get the job done in time," he said.