Monitoring And Control Of The First Infestation Of The Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes Grassei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) In The North-Eastern Part Of Switzerland

At the end of April 2018, a pest control company brought three termite soldiers and some alates to the Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) for species determination. They were found in a building in a medium-sized city on Lake Zurich (Canton Zurich). A mitochondrial DNA analysis by the University of Bologna, Italy, resulted in the species Reticulitermes grassei Clément. R. grassei is native on the Iberian Peninsula and in the southwest of France, whereas subterranean termites are not native in Switzerland. In June 2019, 24 termite bait stations were installed on the site of the infested house and three adjacent properties. One month later the first inspection showed termite activity in two bait stations of one of the adjacent properties. The approach and the challenges in the survey of infested area, the control methods, and the legal situation in Switzerland are presented.