Termite Infestation (Insecta, Isoptera) in An Area of Ecological Preservation and Their Control

Abstract:
In order to understand the characteristics of the termite infestation and suggest management measures aiming to their control, inspection in 53 households in a residential condominium located in the Ecological Park of Serra do Guararú (Rainforest), in Guarujá, Brazil was held in October 2010. Currently the condominium has 354 households, with great potential for expansion in the next years. The inspection service was carried out by taking as basis the request of the owners through the association of homeowners in the condominium. Visual inspection were conducted inside and outside each household, including trees located around the buildings and in the lots of land. This inspection was aimed at analyzing the materials attacked by the termites, the sites favorable for their occurrence, to check the degree of infestation and to collect subsidies that could assist in developing strategies to control the termites. Nasutitermes sp., Microcerotermes sp., Coptotermes gestroi, and Cryptotermes sp. were observed. Thirty nine households showed termite infestations with a predominance of Nasutitermes spp. followed by C. gestroi. Although there was a predominance of Nasutitermes spp. especially in houses located close from the forest, the more severe damages were caused by subterranean termites, which occurred more frequently in houses close to the beach. Several materials showed termite damaged such as furniture made of rattan, structural woods and decorative parts (panels, ceilings, door frames and floors), straw mats, and pool tables. Management adopted in the infested houses was the application insecticides on wood and on the soil, but control failures instigate to study new techniques for termite control in ecological preserved areas.