INTERFACING BASIC BIOLOGY OF RETICULITERMES SPP. AND THE SENTRICON™ TERMITE COLONY ELIMINATION SYSTEM IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA

Abstract:
Using triple-mark-recapture and agonistic behavior studies one colony, consisting of 7 monitoring stations, was determined to consist of approximately 147,000 Reticulitermes foragers. This single colony was baited using Sentricon™ Termite Colony Elimination System. Sixty days later termites were absent from all monitoring and Sentricon™ stations and remained unoccupied for at least 18 months. Eighteen months later foraging Reticulitermes appeared in one of the monitoring stations; 6 months after that, another monitoring station was occupied by foraging Reticulitermes. Utilizing cuticular hydrocarbon analysis and agonistic behavior studies, we determined that the termites occupying these monitoring stations were from 2 different colonies; neither of them were members of the original colony eliminated by baiting.