Comparative Efficacy of Three Bait Toxicants Against the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes Santonensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Khalid Z Rasib* and D J Wright

Received: November 22, 2018;   Published: November 30, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.11.002125

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Abstract

The study was aimed to provide data to assess the risk poses by termites being able to establish and multiply in the UK. This risk can be judged by determining the minimum number of individuals and biotic and abiotic conditions required for establishment of a termite colony. Workers of R. santonensis were used to determine the minimum colony size that can be established in order to produce mini colonies under laboratory conditions. Survival was observed for initial termite number as low as ten under constant conditions at 25 °C, 75% relative humidity over 28 weeks. Results showed that an initial termite number of 250 gave the greatest population survival. Increasing initial termite numbers caused a decrease in the survival in the laboratory. Survival decreased with time in the laboratory trials. Workers of Reticulitermes santonensis were also baited with three commercially available insecticides to test their efficacy at different concentrations using treated bait matrix as Whatmann# 1 filter paper to document the suppression and complete mortality.