# Formosan Termites



## TreeTopKid (Feb 1, 2009)

I attended a talk by Grady J Glenn PHD BCE on termites which was one of the most interesting sessions I've ever attended, and I thought I'd share a few things that you may, or may not know.

Formosan Subterranean Termites _(Coptotermes Formosanus_ were first found by the Houston ship canal in the 1920s. They were imported from Asia.

They were first identified within Harris Co Texas in 1956. They had remained pretty much contained to areas around the ship canal until then.

By 1980 there were three counties identified as having Formosans, by 2001 there were 15 counties identified, and by 2009 there were 29 counties identified, and yes it is only going to get worse.

They thrive best in conditions with a minimum relative humidity of 62%, and an average mean temperature of 14.3 deg C/57.7 deg F. ( They just love it here in the South!).

There favorite food is hardwoods ( although they will eat anything containing cellulose) especially Pecan, and Oak. If you look at the grow zone map for Pecan trees it almost mimics the infestation zone of the Formosans. They enter the tree from the ground and eat out the heartwood. The tree looks healthy until a storm comes along then it blows over often with catastrophic results. 

Research has discovered that Public enemy number one is landscape timber, especially old railway ties. Wherever there was new construction, and the subsequent landscaping the termites would follow. How do they eat through the Creosote coated railway tie? They don't they get in via a nail hole or such like, and then eat all the untreated wood from the middle. They then move from your garden to your home from underground tunnels (there have even been instances of them coming along sewer pipes, and up toilets! Yes this is TRUE! I've seen the photographs) where they set about your wall studs chewing them up, mixing it up with saliva, and fecal matter to produce a substance called Frass with which they reconstruct your wall cavity space with block shaped living quarters called cartons. (yes the wall studs are all gone!).

They then move on from there cozy new home in search of more 'food'. Usually the first thing the homeowner notices is some kind of structural collapse.

I colony has 10,000,000 workers, and if they queen dies they can simply make a new one from a worker. Approximately 10% of the colony is made up of soldiers so natural predators such as native termites, and ants can quickly be taken care of.

The take home fact from this day with Dr Glenn was that the money spent on treatment from your local structural pest control engineer is money well spent. All of those expensive bait traps that you see at your local DIY store are basically useless. However any arborists that are using Imidacloprid you can bait those same traps with this and it should work a whole lot more effectively. NOTE : THIS IS ONLY LEGAL AT YOUR OWN PLACE OF RESIDENCE. There is NO GUARANTEE'S or WARRANTY that this will work I'm just passing on what I learned to anyone who wants the information. Imidacloropid is one of the chemicals used commercially to exterminate termites.To bait termites commercially, and effectively you are best advised to call your local structural pest engineer because prevention is better than cure. 

There spread throughout the south and deep south is continuing in an upward trend they love the damp humid coastal areas. Places like New Orleans, Galveston, and La Porte have been absolutely ravaged. Don't let yourself become a victim.


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## smokechase II (Feb 1, 2009)

*Is Imidacloropid aka imidacloprid?*

"*Extensive studies on the mechanism of action of imidacloprid demonstrate that imidacloprid is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist (Section 3.1.2. Mechanism of Action). However, unlike nicotine, imidacloprid binds with lower affinity in mammals than it does in insects, producing lower acute toxicity in mammals than in insects.
Acute, subchronic and developmental studies have been conducted in mammals specifically to investigate the neurotoxicity of technical grade imidacloprid in response to EPA’s pesticide registration requirements. These studies suggest that neurobehavioral and pathological effects are seen only after high dose exposure to imidacloprid. Acute oral toxicity studies* .........."


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## TreeTopKid (Feb 1, 2009)

smokechase II said:


> "*Extensive studies on the mechanism of action of imidacloprid demonstrate that imidacloprid is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist (Section 3.1.2. Mechanism of Action). However, unlike nicotine, imidacloprid binds with lower affinity in mammals than it does in insects, producing lower acute toxicity in mammals than in insects.
> Acute, subchronic and developmental studies have been conducted in mammals specifically to investigate the neurotoxicity of technical grade imidacloprid in response to EPA’s pesticide registration requirements. These studies suggest that neurobehavioral and pathological effects are seen only after high dose exposure to imidacloprid. Acute oral toxicity studies* .........."



Imidacloprid is definitely one of the chemicals that they use. I believe Fipronil (may be spelled incorrectly) is the other. The use of both is very strictly controlled.


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## ATH (Feb 1, 2009)

TreeTopKid said:


> Imidacloprid is definitely one of the chemicals that they use. I believe Fipronil (may be spelled incorrectly) is the other. The use of both is very strictly controlled.


The use of imidalcloprid may be strictly controlled within the termite control industry (I don't know either way??)...but in the larger picture, it is the MOST used insecticide in the world (or was it just in the US?...pretty sure it is world). When it is all over the shelves at WalMart, I have trouble accpeting that its use is strictly controlled. But like the post from smokechase II said, it has pretty low toxicity to mammals. There are probably products most kitchens that carry a lower LD50 number.

Treetopkid: thanks for the orginal post. Fortunately we do not need to live with this species of termites up here...but I do remember hearing about them in my bug class back in '96. I should pass this info along to my brother to make sure he is aware - he lives south of Houston.


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## TreeTopKid (Feb 1, 2009)

ATH said:


> The use of imidalcloprid may be strictly controlled within the termite control industry (I don't know either way??)...but in the larger picture, it is the MOST used insecticide in the world (or was it just in the US?...pretty sure it is world). When it is all over the shelves at WalMart, I have trouble accpeting that its use is strictly controlled. But like the post from smokechase II said, it has pretty low toxicity to mammals. There are probably products most kitchens that carry a lower LD50 number.
> 
> Treetopkid: thanks for the orginal post. Fortunately we do not need to live with this species of termites up here...but I do remember hearing about them in my bug class back in '96. I should pass this info along to my brother to make sure he is aware - he lives south of Houston.



Sorry I didn't make myself entirely clear. Pest control concentrations of this chemical are not available at Walmart. There are pest products that contain Termadore but in much less concentration and these termites are just not affected by them even the expensive bait traps are useless. In one brand of bait trap the active ingredient is Sodium Chloride (yep! salt) but it is quite legal to use chemicals if you possess them at your own home.

The law is very strict with regards to the control and diagnosis of pests. In fact you are not even allowed to diagnose pests at someones property without a structural pest control license. The Law especially the State law here has tightened up considerably. I hope that makes things clear.

If your brother lives South of Houston he should benefit from this post. he may however know all about them. I knew about them, but not to the extent they were described at the seminar. It was an eye opener for me!


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## treeseer (Feb 2, 2009)

Read page 74 here http://www.tcia.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_July_06.pdf if you think that flooded city of sin was an Act of God.

Adrian blends entomopathogenic fungi that kill the termites with no toxicity to anything else. Check it out.

TTK was this presenter talking about chemicals as if they were the only treatment? :monkey:


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## Ed Roland (Feb 2, 2009)

treeseer said:


> Read page 74 here http://www.tcia.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_July_06.pdf if you think that flooded city of sin was an Act of God.
> 
> :monkey:



Treeseer, do you really believe the old conspiracy theory that formosa termites were trained by the GOP to band together and destroy the structural integrity of the levies? Where is goblin or jomoco when u need em?


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## windthrown (Feb 2, 2009)

Formosa termites had invaded San Diego when I was living there in the 1980s. They came in on outdoor furniture from Taiwan. 

I bought some Timbor online from a state back east when I sold my house in California, and the Termite report required it for termite treatment of an area on my deck. Not legal for homeowners to buy in CA, but not hard to get online. Not for sale in NY, AK or CT. Not redilly available here either. It works though. AS others have said, it is a type of salt. But it is not table salt. 

Timbor factoids: 

Timbor is a water soluble inorganic borage salt with insecticidal and fungicidal properties effective against wood-destoying organisms, including: 
Subterranean termites, Dry wood termites, Damp wood termites, Carpenter ants, PowderPost Beetles (False PowderPost Beetles, Furniture and Deathwatch Beetles, Old House Borers, Longhorn Beetles,and Ambrosia Beetles.)

The mode of action for Timbor is that of a slow acting stomach poison to insects and a contact poison to decay fungi.


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## treeseer (Feb 3, 2009)

woodweasel said:


> Treeseer, do you really believe the old conspiracy theory that formosa termites were trained by the GOP to band together and destroy the structural integrity of the levies?


Nope no training required; they did it on their own.

State of LA also developed fungal pathogens and they work. Considering the quantity needed and the unknowns with chemicals, fungus seems more responsible to use.


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## TreeTopKid (Feb 3, 2009)

treeseer said:


> Read page 74 here http://www.tcia.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_July_06.pdf if you think that flooded city of sin was an Act of God.
> 
> Adrian blends entomopathogenic fungi that kill the termites with no toxicity to anything else. Check it out.
> 
> TTK was this presenter talking about chemicals as if they were the only treatment? :monkey:



To be honest I didn't remember him mentioning entomopathogenic fungi, and I'm sure he didn't or I would have written it down. I appreciate chemicals have to be used sometimes, but myself I always prefer a holistic approach if possible. One thing I hate about any insecticide is it usually kills insects that are beneficial. 

Too many arborists are doing 'preventative' treatments these days, and I think truth be known very often it's just 'a sale'. If it's not broken don't try to fix it.


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## TreeTopKid (Feb 15, 2009)

windthrown said:


> Formosa termites had invaded San Diego when I was living there in the 1980s. They came in on outdoor furniture from Taiwan.
> 
> I bought some Timbor online from a state back east when I sold my house in California, and the Termite report required it for termite treatment of an area on my deck. Not legal for homeowners to buy in CA, but not hard to get online. Not for sale in NY, AK or CT. Not redilly available here either. It works though. AS others have said, it is a type of salt. But it is not table salt.
> 
> ...



Thanks Windthrown, I missed this last time.


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