West Indian drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis, in Australia: current understanding, ongoing issues, and future needs

Abstract

Wood is increasingly viewed as a more environmentally sustainable material owing to its low embodied energy, workability, and renewability, but its two major drawbacks are susceptibility to biological degradation and fire. Biodegradation is typically addressed through effective designs to exclude moisture or, where that is not possible, the use of either naturally durable or chemically protected timber. Naturally durable timbers are widely used globally while preservative treatments are increasingly used to protect less durable timbers. These practices have markedly extended the use and service life of timber in harsher environments. However, these treatments do not improve the fire performance of the timber and there is increasing interest in the use of fire resistive coatings or impregnation with fire retardants to allow use in bushfire prone areas. This review provides background on the problems associated with increased building and construction in the wildland-urban interface. It summarizes the codes, standards and state of the art practices needed for adequate fire safety in timber construction.

Potential of Gas-Propelled Aerosol Containing Synergized Pyrethrins for Localized Treatment of Cryptotermes brevis (Kalotermitidae: Blattodea)

“…Toxicity of synergized pyrethrin has been reported against several insect pests in several studies [20][21][22]; however, only a few studies have reported toxicity and repellency of pyrethrins against termites [23][24][25][26]. This could be because pyrethrins are easily photodegraded under sunlight, resulting in short residual effects, and this has limited their use in outdoor applications [21,27]; however, spot applications for the eradication of C. brevis do not require stability in light, as this pest termite tends to stay inside wood and in houses [2]. Compared to our study, a higher dose (6.39 mg/L) was required to kill a 50%-exposed population of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, a subterranean termite, as was observed in a previous study [23]; however, pyrethrin in the previous study was tested without a synergist.…”

“…In Queensland, Australia, up until January 2021, C. brevis was managed by whole-of-structure fumigation at the Queensland Government’s expense under the WIDT Prevention and Control Program [ 2 ]. Several research projects were commenced in late 2022 to better equip Queensland’s pest control sector to identify, detect, and manage this pest in the future.…”

“…Eliminating drywood termites with excess heat or cold also requires a considerable amount of energy, training, and investment in equipment. In localized treatments, conversely, an insecticide is injected into the termite galleries [2][3][4].…”

Toxicity, repellency, and horizontal transfer of foam insecticides for remedial control of an invasive drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae)

“…Control of Cryptotermes brevis in Queensland was reported to have cost more than AUD 4.2 million in 2007 (Peters et al 2007). When combined with an ongoing annual cost of around AUD 500,000 (Horwood 2008), more than AUD10 million has been spent on its control (Haigh et al 2022).…”