Management of Drywood Termites: Past Practices, Present Situation and Future Prospects - Urban Insect Pests: Sustainable Management Strategies - page 136

Wood injection

Venturina, 2009; Lewis et al. , 2011; Hickman
and Forschler, 2012), although the practice
of foaming wall voids as a preventative
intervention strategy needs additional
research. At least one essential oil
(containing d -limonene) is commercially
available for local, remedial treatments
(Lewis and Rust, 2009; Rust and Venturina,
2009; Lewis et al. , 2009). The mode of action
for essential oils involves lipophilic ability
to cross the exocuticle and diffuse
throughout the insect body and tracheal
system rendering toxic affects to cells both
as vapour and by topical application
(Cornelius et al ., 1997; Tarelli et al ., 2009).
Feeding and oviposition effects have also
been recorded (Cornelius et al ., 1997).
Arthropod response to essential oils has,
however, been highly variable within and
between pest species (Cornelius et al ., 1997).
Collectively, reports on product effi cacy
in controlling infestations are highly vari-
able, and depend on active ingredient,
formulation (liquid versus dust versus
foam), fi nding galleries and feeding cham-
bers (Ebeling, 1975), application technique
(topical or injection) and species of drywood
termite (Randall and Doody, 1934a; Su and
Scheffrahn, 1990; Scheffrahn et al. , 1997a;
Su and Scheffrahn, 2000; Lewis, 2003;
Woodrow and Grace, 2007; Woodrow et al. ,
2006; Rust and Venturina, 2009; Lewis et
al. , 2009; Potter, 2011, Hickman and
Forschler, 2012). Describing the mode of
action for the products tested and/or used
for drywood termite wood injection treat-
ments is beyond the scope of this chapter
and the reader is referred to the literature
cited in this chapter. In addition, the safety
data sheet information required for all
pesticides registered in the USA is another
good source of information for anyone
interested in the pesticides registered for
use on drywood termites (MSDS Online,
2013).

Interventions involving the topical and
subsurface injection of liquid, dust or foam
formulations of pesticides have long domin-
ated attempts at drywood termite control.
Subsurface injections employing the drill-
and-treat method - locating galleries by
drilling into the lumber and applying a
pesticide through the drill-hole into the
gallery - using dust formulations of copper
aceto arsenite (Paris green) and calcium
arsenic (Kali-dust) were the mainstay of
drywood termite control efforts in the early
20th century (Light et al. , 1930; Randall and
Doody, 1934a; Ebeling, 1975). Fifty-three
active ingredients formulated into 354
commercial products are listed in the
United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US EPA) database as registered for
drywood termite control in 2013 (NPIRS,
2013). However, the number of products
registered by state varies considerably; for
example, California has 134 (Kelly
Registration System, 2013a) and Georgia
153 (Kelly Registration System, 2013b).
Pesticides formulated as dusts dominate the
list (129 of 354) and the remaining are liquid
or foam formulations (NPIRS, 2013). The
reported use of pesticides employed in
remedial, local interventions represents at
least 70% of the Pest Management market in
some states (Potter, 2011). Over the decades,
published effi cacy testing on active
ingredients includes dozens of insecticides
(Smith, 1930; Randall and Doody, 1934a;
Randall et al. , 1934a; Mallis, 1945; Snyder,
1950; Ebeling and Wagner, 1959a,b; Ebeling,
1975; Scheffrahn et al. , 1979; Rust and
Scheffrahn, 1982; Moein and Farrag, 1997;
Scheffrahn et al., 1979, 1997a; Thoms, 2000;
Ferster et al., 2001; Lewis and Power, 2004;
Lewis et al. , 2005; Woodrow et al. , 2006;
Woodrow and Grace, 2007; Lewis, 2009b;
Lewis and Rust, 2009; Lewis et al ., 2009;
Rust and Venturina, 2009; Lewis et al. ,
2011; Hickman and Forschler, 2012).
Remedial interventions that involve
insecticidal foam formulations applied
using subsurface injection have been
examined in conjunction with detection
equipment (Lewis and Rust, 2009; Rust and

Temperature

Temperatures exceeding 50˚C are lethal to
drywood termites as demonstrated six
decades ago in the treatment of wooden