Tracking Termites

In the battle to protect homes and property from destruction by termites, the latest weapon to be added to the arsenal are the termiticide baits. Still, it can be difficult to get bait directly to the termites and to be spread throughout the colony. One way of detecting termites in the ground is to use monitoring stations. Termite damage to these monitors and/or baits can provide valuable information that can be integrated into a total treatment program.

The objective of this study was to determine the most sensitive method of using monitor stations around buildings. Pine stakes (1" x 2" x 12") were placed around 11 similar structures using two placement strategies: pattern placement and directed placement.

For the pattern placement, stakes were driven into the ground 10 feet away from the building and 20 feet away from each other around the entire structure. For directed placement, stakes were positioned at least 12 inches away from the building in conducive condition areas (i.e. where termites tend to concentrate their activities), such as air conditioners, spigots, downspouts, tree stumps, wood piles, mulch beds and wooden fencing. An equal number of stakes for each placement pattern were positioned around each building, for a total of 428 stakes. Stakes were placed in the ground in July 1995 and were monitored after two, six, 11, and 13 months.

Redd Pest Control, Kenner, La., helped in selecting the 11 buildings, which were located at the Georgetown Apartments in New Orleans. Although the area was considered to have only a moderate level of termite activity, six of the buildings required fumigation in September of 1995 due to termite infestations. Both Formosan subterranean termites and native subterranean termites occupied this area.

The results of the study are provided in Figures 1 through 3. The percentage of stake attacks was extremely low throughout the study, with only 7% of the pine stakes showing attack after 13 months. Of the wooden stakes that were attacked, conducive placements were twice as likely to pick up termite activity than stakes in patterned placements. However, both strategies proved useful in locating termites. On average, 73% of stakes attacked were found to harbor termites on the next inspection. Therefore, it is highly likely termites will persist in locations where they are first found.

Our findings suggest that pest control operators who have a sound knowledge of termite biology and foraging behavior will increase their success rate in locating termites with ground monitors. The utility of concentrating toxic baits around monitors having hits is indicated by the high incidence of recurring termite activity at previously active baits combined with the low overall percentage of active stations. In other words, place baits where the termites are!