IMIDACLOPRID USE in TERMITE CONTROL OPERATIONS GLOBALLY and CHANGING USE PATTERNS in the UNITED STATES

Abstract:
The soil-applied termiticide, imidacloprid (Premise®, Hachikusan®) was registered for termite control in Japan in 1993. This non-repellent termiticide causes mortality in termites foraging near treated structures, and is transmissible to other termites not directly exposed to treated soil. A two-year study, conducted to determine the performance of precision placement of termiticide, involved treatment of 56 termite-infested structures in the United States. Forty-four (78.6%) of these sites achieved complete control of the structural termite infestation with initial application. Twelve sites (21.4%) required minimal spot treatments to control newly discovered termite activity. Termite control with non-repellent termiticides can be less disruptive to occupants of infested-structures and at greatly reduced labor costs. In this project, total termiticide use was reduced by nearly 50%, and interior use of termiticide was reduced by more than 70%, without compromising the long-term effectiveness of integrated termite management programs.