[Annual Termite Issue] Team Approach

In an effort to help rid southwestern North Carolina of Formosan termites, Bayer Environmental Science worked with termite experts to make treatments to the affected areas and allay the public’s fear about this destructive pest.
“The Formosan termite causes a lot of anxiety among the public,” said Vince Parman, Bayer’s field development and technical service representative who worked on the project. “People know that it’s a very aggressive termite.”
In 2003, after discussions with North Carolina State University about the Formosan infestations, Parman volunteered to help control the pests in whatever way possible.
“I was talking with Dr. Michael Waldvogel at N.C. State University and he told me that there was a known pocket of Formosan termites in southwestern North Carolina located in Spindale, Ruth and Forest City,” Parman said. “Formosans had been found along a stretch of railroad track in the ties, inside a house and commercial building, and along a fairly significant stretch of trees they had surveyed.
“The state of North Carolina was a little bit unsure about what to do. They knew they couldn’t eradicate the situation but they also felt they should do something,” he added.
That’s when Bayer stepped in and offered assistance with the situation. The company “essentially gave a blanket offer to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS),” to help in whatever way it could, Parman said. The manufacturer sponsored Dr. Ed Freytag of the New Orleans Termite and Mosquito Control Board to travel to North Carolina to treat the infested trees that contained live Formosans.
While some of the railroad tracks were treated with termite baits, Bayer donated its liquid termiticide Premise, which was injected as a foam into the infested trees. The product and the foaming machine were supplied by Bayer’s Clayton, N.C., Research and Technical Training Center.
In addition to making the foam injection treatment, Freytag trained a number of NCDACS inspectors and pest management professionals about how to sample for such infestations, as well as treat them. “We had several regional state inspectors come down and watch Ed at work, drill the trees, scope out with his borescope and then make Premise injections,” Parman said. “Ed is a very hands-on guy and worked well with these inspectors and PMPs.”

THE RESULT. As a result of the treatment, Parman said as best as they can tell, there has not been any additional termite activity in the trees. “The way we can tell is that a couple trees were cut down by homeowners, and those trees didn’t have any live termites in them. In fact, one homeowner found a lot of dead termites,” he said. “The application of Premise foam was very successful in eliminating the Formosan termites in these trees.”
In addition to the tree treatments, Bayer also worked with local pest management professionals to treat a nearby infested textile factory and a large infested home in Spindale. In a continuing effort to ensure control, officials have been monitoring the efficacy on the treated areas. “And if there are any subsequent trees that are identified and if the state wants them treated, we will be more than happy to assist the state to help them with the process,” Parman said.
The result proves that a team approach of manufacturer/state officials/pest management professionals works well and could be a model for others in the country looking to partner with one another to eliminate any kind of pest, not just termites.
“It is important to remember that the injection of Premise foam into infested trees is something that any PMP can already do right now according to our label,” Parman said. “PMPs also should keep in mind that there are many other kinds of termites out there that can infest trees besides Formosans.
“This took a lot of work. There was a lot of talking back and forth,” Parman added. “And in the end, it was a very, very nice day.”