Management Strategies for Subterranean Termites - Urban Insect Pests: Sustainable Management Strategies - page 114

8

Management Strategies for
Subterranean Termites

Michael K. Rust*
University of California, USA

Introduction

landscape management involved in any
infestation. For them, understanding the
complex interactions of termites, humans
and human habitats is the dynamics of the
urban termite infestation.
Identifying the species and the variables
that affect the dynamics of the termite
infestation dictates the action plan and
choice of treatment strategies. Some of the
recently registered insecticides provide
more opportunities for management than
simply mediating or excluding termites.
The incorporation of slow-acting and non-
repellent insecticides provides the potential
for colony suppression and elimination
(Parman and Vargo, 2010; Hu, 2011; Vargo
and Parman, 2012). The use of baits
containing chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs)
also provides for potential colony elimin-
ation (Broadbent, 2011; Rust and Su, 2012).
Baits can be extremely effective in treating
diffi cult construction features such as wells,
plenums, sub-slab heat ducts and inacces-
sible crawlspaces where pesticide exposure
or contamination issues might occur (Potter,
2011).
Increased environmental concerns, regu-
latory changes and the advent of new
insecticides have dramatically changed the
paradigm in which termite control has been
conducted over the past 25 years. Persist-
ence, toxicity and repellency were once

Subterranean termites comprise about 38 of
the 80 or so economically important pest
species worldwide (Rust and Su, 2012). It is
estimated that these species cause about
US$32 billion of damage worldwide. In a
random survey of 5000 homeowners in
areas of the USA infested with Formosan
subterranean termites, 30% of the respond-
ents indicated that they lived in a home
damaged by termites (Vlosky et al. , 2009a).
Consequently, subterranean termites
receive considerable attention by pest
management professionals (PMPs) and the
public. In recent years there have been
excellent reviews of subterranean termites
including sustainable integrated pest
management (IPM) practices (Forschler,
2011; Potter, 2011; Su, 2011), soil insecticide
treatments (Hu, 2011) and insect social
behaviour that affects control (Rust and Su,
2012). The idea of having an Integrated
Termite Management Plan infl uenced by
knowledge of the pest species, construction
practices, landscape conditions and points
of entry to the structure has been put forth
by Forschler (2011). Fontes and Milano
(2002) considered 'a constellation of vari-
able conditions' such as building practices,
geographic and climatic features, patterns
of use of urban soils, and planting and