Study On The Environmentally Friendly Chemicals For The Control Of Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki

Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera:Rhinotermitidae), is a major urban pests in many countries throughout the world, which largely damage household materials, finished goods, plants and agricultural crops. Termiticides have developed rapidly in the last 10 years in China. Because of "The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants", termiticides contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), especially like Chlordane and Mirex which were the main pesticides to control termites for a long period in China, have been replaced by other termiticides. A number of new environmentally friendly products have been developed and registered in China. These products reach international standards. In this paper, we used C. formosanus as test insect to evaluate the toxic effect of three different agents of bifenthrin, boric acid, bluestone, manganese chloride, barium chloride, and Dendrolimus punctatus cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (DpCPV). On the other hand we developed a cellulose bait that C. formosamus preferred. Major research results were as follows:(1) The three different agents of bifenthrin showed good toxic efects to Coptotermes formosanus, they prevented C. formosanus feeding on the woods treated with them under the tested concentration in the laboratory. The concentrations of bifenthrin ME (2.5%), bifenthrin EW (5%) and bifenthrin CS (10%) in soil to prevent C. formosanus should be 156,500 and 312 mg/L, respectively.(2) Boric acid showed no significant repellent to C. formosanus under the tested concentration in the laboratory, and the time of 100% mortality of termites on the choice feeding and forced feeding was eighth days. With the increase of the concentration of manganese chloride and copper sulfate, the repellent effect to C. formosanus were more obvious. Barium chloride showed no repellent to C. formosanus under the tested concentration in the laboratory, and the time of 100% mortality of termites on the choice feeding and forced feeding was 12days and 9 days, respectively.(3) Dendrolimus punctatus cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (DpCPV) can kill all C. formosanus at the concentration of 10000 times dilution, but no synergism to C. formosanus was observed when it was mixed with boric acid, or bluestone, manganese chloride, and barium chloride.(4) The C. formosanus preferred the bait formulated with the avicel untreated or treated by brown rot fungi for 15 days. Added brown sugar, lignocellulose, cornmeal, glutinous rice flour into the avicel can promote the feeding of C. formosanus to bait. The avicel has the potential to be as the material of commercial termite bait.