Bio-intensive Integrated Management of Termites

Abstract

Various viable options in termite management are termite baits (novaluron, hexaflumuron), the use of synthetic pesticides/insecticides/termiticides (bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, Imidachloprid, permethrin, dexamethasone, ibuprofen, aldrin, Dieldrin, etc.), chemicals (boric acid, ibuprofen sodium salt), or botanicals (Withania somnifera, Croton tiglium, Hygrophila auriculata, Trachyspermum ammi, Pimenta dioica, Carum carvi, Anethum graveolens, Pelargonium graveolens, Litsea cubeba, Croton urucurana, Melia azedarach, Crotalaria burhia, and Anacardium occidentale). Further, natural enemies include mammals, birds, insects (ants, reduviids), Araneae (spiders), microbes–bacteria [Bacillus thuringiensis], fungi [Conidiobolus sp., Aspergillus flavus, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, B. pseudobassiana, and Isaria fumosorosea), and nematodes (Heterorhabditis sp., Steinernema sp.). Other methods such as dug trench are also available for termite management. In addition, many commercial products are available in the market (e.g., Bioblast). No one has integrated more than two or three individual components for termite control that are environmentally safe and effective. Here we discuss how to utilize many integrated pest management components, to save crops and environment.