Low-dose pesticide stops termites

Agricultural Research, Oct, 2004 by Maria Guadalupe Rojas, Juan A. Morales-Ramos

Estimates are that damage from Formosan subterranean termites alone costs U.S. consumers about $1 billion annually in control and repair costs. So researchers are hoping that the patenting of a tasty new toxic bait with termite appeal will bring closer to reality another potential solution to widespread termite problems. This new termiticide relies on low concentrations of naphthalenic compounds similar to those used in mothballs. Tests have shown that even at low doses, the new bait is also effective against native Eastern subterranean termites.

In collaborative research with the USDA Forest Service, researchers found that not only do certain naphthalenic compounds work against termites, they also prevent wood decay. So they could one day replace heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, and copper currently used as wood preservatives. But when combined in a cellulose-based matrix, they form a slow-acting toxic bait that termites take back to their colonies. Effective even at low doses, these baits would be both economical and environmentally friendly.

Maria Guadalupe Rojas and Juan A. Morales-Ramos, USDA-ARS Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, New Orleans, Louisiana; [Rojas] phone (504) 286-4382, e-mail grojas@srrc.ars.usda.gov; [Morales-Ramos] phone (504) 286-4256, e-mail jmorales@srrc.ars.usda.gov.