Pest Management Professional, March 2015

TERMITE RESEARCH Continued froM PAge 40 the pipe once the concrete has set and a 35x25x15 in pine block is placed on the treated soil at the bottom of the pipe To prevent weathering of the treated soil a PVC cap is placed on the pipe see Fig 4 In both test types candidate termiticides are applied to the soil at the preconstruction volume of 1 gal per 10 sq ft For each plot the wood is evaluated for termite damage annually using a simple scale The presence or absence of live termites infesting test blocks or boards also is noted e Damage data are collected using the Gulfport scale 0 no damage 1 nibbles to surface etching 2 light damage with penetration 3 moderate damage 4 heavy damage and 5 board or block destroyed Performance standards For candidate termiticides seeking federal registration theres one standard the EPAs Product Performance Test Guidelines OPPTS 8103600 Following federal registration the efficacy data are submitted to the state pesticide regulatory agencies for their review States retain the right to accept or refuse the sale or use of a particular product within their borders Some states have even developed their own standards for acceptance of termiticides based on product performance In 2003 for example Florida developed the Florida Termiticide Efficacy Rule 5e 20311 FAC These two standards apply to different applications of the products the Florida Rule applies to termiticide application for new construction only and the EPA Guidelines apply to preand post construction applications In the EPA Guidelines a candidate termiticide should prevent termites from penetrating treated soil in 100 percent of the test plots for at least five years at the lowest label rate that will be registered using the concrete slab test method Thats why the data in the EPA sections of Tables 1 and 2 are reported in years of 100 percent control Success for a candidate termiticide under the Florida Rule is defined differently than under the federal guidelines The Florida Rule only considers data from southeastern states To pass this rule a candidate termiticide must prevent damage more severe than ASTM 9 equivalent to a Gulfport rating of 1 to more than 90 percent of all test blocks for at least five years in one or more of the southeastern sites using the concrete slab method A minimum of 10 plots is required All test plots are evaluated annually and the rule is applied for each year independently In other words previous or cumulative infestations of plots arent considered Latest test resuLts Tables 1 and 2 provide repellent and non repellent Fig 2 After drying a 6x6 in pine board is centered on the exposed termiticide treated soil and held in place with a brick Fig 3 A concrete slab plot after treatment before concrete pouring Fig 4 A completed concrete slab plot termiticide evaluation results collected through 2014 Similar to last year PMP March 2014 Altriset SC formulation containing 184 percent chlorantraniliprole is the only product for which new data can be reported In the 2014 concrete slab data Altriset at 005 percent active ingredient AI the label rate reached the end of its years of 100 percent control in Mississippi All other locations and concentrations remained the same as the previous report PMP March 2014 For ground board plots the 025 percent AI rate of Altriset reached its final year in Florida under the Florida Rule All Altriset plots will continue to be read annually While its a difficult standard to meet for product performance the EPAs Guidelines are a valuable tool Continued on PAge 47 42 March 2015 Pest Management Professional mypmp net