Pest Management Professional, May 2017

Tips Tricks TERMITES Control Solutions Inc By Marie Knox Director of Product Development Termites have been swarming in some areas of the country since early spring Depending on where you live and what species you have present in your area these swarms may extend well into the summer One of the questions I am most often asked is What kind of termite is this This is usually as I am being handed a small plastic bag of wings alates whole and in parts and other trophies from a recent inspection I am blessed to live in an area of the country brimming with multiple species of termites and my identification skills are tested often Proper identification of the species youre dealing with is not only important it is imperative Treatment options will vary greatly based on the type of termite as well as other factors like construction type and conducive conditions present If possible keeping your identification tactics simple is ideal If you have just wings to ID from be familiar with the leading edge veins and how many veins are characteristic of the species you have in your area If you have drywood termites as well as subterranean species active in your area know that drywoods typically will have three or four leading edge veins whereas your subterranean varieties have just two If you have multiple subterranean species to choose from be familiar with other characteristics like relative size of alates as well as distinguishing features on the wings besides veins hairs for example and variances in body color Getting a little deeper into ID with identifying characteristics of soldiers may not only be necessary but very interesting BASF MORE ONLINE Read more of Marie Knoxs tips on PMPPestTalk net By Dr Bob Davis Technical Specialist A focus of subterranean termite inspections should be on identifying conducive conditions These can include wood to ground contact excessive moisture poor drainage and or water leaks and access points Also look for formboards left in place debris under and around the structure footing too low or soil line too high excessive mulch along and over the foundation landscaping timbers stumps and tree roots along the foundation insufficient clearance in crawlspaces and expansion joints or cracks in slabs bath traps shower pan drains and other plumbing penetrations A careful inspection of the interior and exterior for such conditions can help professionals find activity and provide excellent service Syngenta Professional Pest Management By Dr Nicky Gallagher Technical Services Manager During home inspections it is commonly accepted to interpret a moisture level of 20 percent or higher as an indicator of potential subterranean termite activity Moisture meters are excellent tools that can increase the effectiveness and quality of your inspection by providing customers with actual documented numbers rather than just eyeballing a moisture problem Good quality moisture meters can be non destructive and used on a variety of surfaces Assessing moisture level changes or lack thereof preand post treatment or during a follow up inspection can help determine whether further investigation is warranted In my experience homeowners tend to be more willing to resolve moisture issues when a moisture meter is used especially one that broadcasts an alarm warning about high moisture levels Nisus Corp By Dr Reid Ipser Director of Technical Services Termites are able to detect the smallest amount of disturbance in their environment In fact it is not uncommon to place a log on the ground in a wooded area and have subterranean termites present within 24 hours This behavior also can be seen in different variations during construction For example in the northeast some customized new construction practices integrate a floor heater between the subfloor and the top floor to keep the floor warm in the winter months Unfortunately in addition to a nice warm floor for human feet it also produces an artificial environmental conTinued on Page 72 70 May 2017 Pest Management Professional mypmp net