UC Riverside Scientists Study New Termite Treatment Methods

University of California Riverside scientists have introduced a new termite control strategy using pinene to lure termites into insecticide-treated areas, achieving over 95 percent effectiveness, study's show by UCR entomologist Dong-Hwan Choe.

The method, detailed in the Journal of Economic Entomology, uses a pleasant-smelling chemical released by forest trees called pinene that reminds western drywood termites of their food. They follow the scent to a spot of insecticide injected into wood.

“We saw significant differences in the death rates using insecticide alone versus the insecticide plus pinene,” said Choe, who led the discovery. “Without pinene, we got about 70 percent mortality. When we added it in, it was over 95 percent."

Native to North America, western drywood termites are environmentally important. They are drawn to dead wood above ground, and consume it with the help of microorganisms in their guts. “They are recyclers,” Choe said. “And they’re very common.”

Using an attractant like pinene eliminates the need to hunt for the termites. “Even at low concentrations, pinene is good at attracting termites from a distance,” Choe said.

“We don’t think it’s functioning as a pheromone,” Choe said. “We think the scent is more associated with their food. Smells nice… dinner time! That’s the concept that we had in mind.”

Choe’s laboratory generally studies the chemical communication systems of urban insect pests to develop strategies like this one for western drywood termites.

“Our study shows that if you understand insect behavior better, it’s interesting by itself,” Choe said. “Then there are also important implications for more effective pest management, so we can use fewer chemicals without compromising efficiency.”

Reference: “Potential use of pinenes to improve localized insecticide injections targeting the western drywood termite (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae)” by Nicholas A Poulos, Chow-Yang Lee, Michael K Rust and Dong-Hwan Choe, 16 May 2024, Journal of Economic Entomology.
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae101