|
Sci Tech
Control of termite menace
Most common materials attacked by termites include leather goods, wall paper, books, thatch roofs in houses, carpets, buried electrical and telephone cables, wooden poles and bridges, bamboo pegs of army tents, railway coaches, and historical monuments etc.
These insects are also known as secondary invaders of woody plants since they attack living trees and shrubs. A termite colony usually contains three castes, that is, workers, soldiers, and reproducers.
These castes are physically distinct and perform different tasks in the termite society. Workers are the caste which actually attacks wood.
Networks of tunnels
Subterranean termites are the most destructive and frequently encountered type infesting buildings and are closely associated with the soil habitat where they excavate a network of tunnels through the soil horizons.
The emergence of winged termites is triggered by warm temperature and higher level of humidity.
These termites, also known as ‘swarmers,’ usually emerge during spring season in large numbers and swarm to disperse and start new colonies.
They then drop to the ground, shed their wings, pair off with a mate and attempt to begin new colonies in the soil. The queen termite is essentially an ‘egg laying machine,’ which can lay up to 30,000 eggs per day.
Control measures
Chemical control: The conventional approach is to spray and inject the chemical into the soil to create a persistent toxic barrier.
Application of chlorpyrifos 20EC at 2 ml/lit, imidacloprid 17.8 SL at 0.3 ml/lit. and fenvalerate 20 EC at 0.5 ml/lit are found to be promising.
Newer chemicals such as fipronil and chlorfenapyr are also more reliable.
Other methods
Baiting technology uses wood or a cellulose matrix which is favoured by termites. Foraging termites consume the bait and dies. Chemical fumigation is yet another method.
M. S. Kitturmath
& M. Shankara
Murthy
Department of Entomology
University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
|
