[Product Update] A Novel Approach

Look no further than your local phone book for proof that today’s termite market is composed of a “crowded canvas” of pest control companies. More and more PCOs are entering or remain actively involved in the termite market. The good news for these PCOs is that manufacturers continue introducing termite products that can help them stand out from this crowded canvas.

The latest termite product PCOs may consider adding to their arsenal is FMC Corporation’s Transport termiticide insecticide, which recently received EPA registration.

Transport is a novel formulation that combines two well-known chemicals — acetamiprid, a short-lived non-repellent, with bifenthrin, a long-lived repellent. The result is a non-repellent termiticide that provides both quick termite control and long-term protection, according to FMC.

HOW IT WORKS. You might be thinking: Is it possible for a non-repellent and repellent to work together? If so, you are not alone.

“When we first started working with Transport we believed these two very effective active ingredients would work well in combination, ultimately providing the PMP community a unique product they could add to their post-construction offering. While early work indicated the new product would act like a non-repellent, we could not be sure until development was completed,” said Jim Walter, manager of product development, FMC.

Walter said that prior to Transport going through the research and development process there were reasons to believe this was a concept with potential. “These two chemicals are very, very different in nature. Bifenthrin is very, very hydrophobic — it clings to soil. It doesn’t like to move around in soil at all. Acetamiprid is fairly water soluble. It tends to be a molecule that moves around a little bit.”

There also was reason to believe the combination of bifenthrin and acetamiprid had real-world potential for the pest control industry. While bifenthrin has long been used as a termiticide, it “must be comprehensively applied to block all potential avenues of termite entry into buildings,” according to the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control. “Otherwise, gaps of untreated soil are likely to result in treatment failures.” The acetamiprid fills in those gaps, resulting in a more forgiving and efficacious termiticide treatment.

Because these two molecules are so different, the challenge for FMC scientists was to create a formulation that would allow bifenthrin and acetamiprid to stay together. “Typically you don’t have a water soluble combined with a water insoluble,” Walter said.

The solution FMC researchers came up with was a wettable powder formulation that manages to keep both molecules stable in the package, but when the solution (water) is added the acetamiprid dissolves away and the bifenthrin goes into suspension, but maintains those two materials in the formulation.

IN THE FIELD. The second testing phase for Transport was an experimental use program (EUP) in which researchers and pest management professionals tested the products on termite-infested structures.

In field tests to determine the quickness in which the termites were no longer infesting a structure, as well as the longevity of control, researchers logged detailed reports for each structure. Only infested structures were chosen for testing. After treatment with Transport, inspection schedules of two-week intervals were performed to track remaining termite activity. After termite activity was controlled, quarterly visits to each site were performed.

University of Georgia researcher Dr. Brian Forschler and his staff tested Transport in the lab and in the field and Forschler was impressed with its concept and performance. “You get the long-lasting residual of a pyrethroid (bifenthrin) and the movement of the neonicotinoid (acetamiprid) to fill in any gaps and provide a continuous barrier — so it has a forgiveness factor,” he said. “I think it is another good tool that will help technicians address those concerns they face when putting down a soil barrier.”

University of Arizona researcher Dr. Paul Baker said the product offers unique characteristics to PCOs. “The acetamiprid will hopefully clear them out pretty quickly and then you have the repellent material (bifenthrin) that is the follow up. Like anything else, it all depends on how the termiticide is applied,” Baker said.

Several pest management professionals have been testing Transport for a number of years. Rick Story, president of Baton Rouge Pest Control, Baton Rouge, La., said the product was effective and worked quickly. “In all the homes we treated, when I came back after the initial treatment the termites were no longer active,” he said. “There was no longer any movement of termites; shells and tubes were broken; and there were no reconnections. It was 100 percent effective at stopping the termites.”

Similarly, Jared Clark, president of Advantage Pest Management, Columbia, S.C., was impressed by how quickly it worked. “I think this product will help reduce callbacks — you are not going to get those callbacks from homeowners seeing swarmers after your initial visit,” he said.

Clark added that his service technicians liked that Transport has low odor, low toxicity and comes in water-soluble packaging. “It’s a lot easier for technicians to measure and get it into the tank. They just throw it in the tank and add water. They don’t have to breathe in any dust.”

WHAT’S NEXT? Now that Transport has received EPA registration, FMC currently is seeking state registrations. PCOs can track whether or not their state has approved Transport at www.fmcpestsolutions.com.

From there it will be up to the market to determine the success of Transport. While there is no formula for determining the success of a newly introduced termite product, as long as there are PCOs with creative business models, it is a pretty safe bet that these pest management professionals will make room in their cache of termite products for an innovative, effective termiticide. 

The author is managing editor of PCT.

How ‘Bout That?

While Transport was being tested in labs and in the field, FMC researchers made some interesting discoveries.

Jim Walter, manager of product development, said FMC researchers made an interesting finding in regards to the way termites spread Transport amongst other termites in the colony.

Initially, FMC researchers believed the termites would spread the product to other termites by rubbing up against one another, but that did not prove to be the case.

“What we documented was that termites actually moved the Transport by moving around the soil particles,” Walter said. “That made a lot more sense because soil particles contain a lot more AI (active ingredient). The termites will move treated soil particles to areas inside the walls of their tunnels. Then, other termites will rub against these soil particles as they go through their tunnels. So this is why we see a colony-wide effect with Transport, not just the elimination of a few termites.”

Transport for Roaches

In addition to Transport termiticide insecticide, FMC has introduced other Transport products, including Transport Roach Bait.

The bait kills high percentages of German cockroach populations through direct ingestion of the acetamiprid active ingredient. Unique Transport Technology kills remaining cockroaches through several methods of active ingredient transfer, including saliva exchange, cannibalism, necrophagy and coprophagy. The coprophagy phenomenon is a unique property of acetamiprid, according to the manufacturer. This is an important method of active ingredient transfer that contributes to the cockroach kill rate of Transport. In addition, the coprophagy transfer activity and the unique mode of action make Transport efficacious against both resistant and bait-averse cockroach populations, FMC said.

Jared Clark, president of Advantage Pest Management, Columbia, S.C., said his company has used Transport Roach Bait in several commercial accounts and reported control in 30 to 60 days of the product being applied.

Transport Controls Termites and Ants

Transport termiticide insecticide provides control of all three genera of subterranean termites, including Reticulitermes, Heterotermes and Coptotermes, as well as control of ants. Transport can be used for pre-construction termite control, post-construction termite control, above-ground termite control (such as with termite carton nests or nests in trees) and as a foam application, according to FMC. 

Transport has been tested in field trials by university entomologists and about 40 pest management professionals in hundreds of termite-infested structures. In these trials, Transport cleared termites from 94 percent of the structures within 30 days of treatment, the company says. “The field trials prove that Transport gives pest control professionals the ability to clear structures of termites within 30 days of treatment,” said Neal Rightley, product manager of pest control products for FMC Professional Solutions. “This uniquely formulated product has been proven very effective in the field under the toughest conditions, providing pest management professionals with a unique formulation for excellent control of termites.”

In addition to termite control, multiple studies have shown that Transport also provides control of many species of ants, the company reports. Dr. Laurel Hansen conducted a study in which 50 carpenter ants were exposed to one, two, five and 10 dead ants, killed by exposure to pine boards treated with Transport. At 10 and 24 hours after treatment, 100 percent mortality was seen among ants that had been exposed to five or 10 of the dead ants. This, in turn, means that the entire ant colony could be eliminated by exposure to a quantity of dead ants equaling 10 percent of the colony, according to FMC. 

Learn the Termite Inspection Process

As any veteran termite control professional will tell you: “Today’s termiticides are only as good as the men and women in the field who apply them.”

The termite inspection is one of the most important services a pest management professional can provide to a customer. Inspections are a critical component to the real estate process for consumers, and the responsibility for an accurate inspection is not to be taken lightly.

Join noted industry consultant and PCT columnist Dr. George Rambo for an informative, day-long seminar on the proper steps to performing an accurate termite inspection at The PCT Termite Inspection Seminars. Highlights include:

• A unique one-day education seminar dedicated solely to termite inspection practices in both residential and commercial accounts. 
• Seminars will be customized to the seminar’s geographic area and to specific state regulatory requirements. 
• Earn continuing education/certification credits for attending the seminar.

The seminars are scheduled for September with stops in Los Angeles; Atlanta; Memphis, Tenn.; and Mobile, Ala. Call 800/456-0707 or visit www.termiteseminars.com to register or for additional information.