Targeted elimination of the exotic termite, Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae), from infested tracts in southeastern Florida

Abstract

Populations of the arboreal termite, Nasutitermes corniger, discovered in Dania Beach, Florida in 2001 were surveyed and treated for eradication, beginning in 2003. Most N. corniger nest locations were cryptic and some nests contained over 1 million termites. Field efficacy of fipronil (Termidor® SC) and imidacloprid (Premise® 2) were compared in initial treatments, and fipronil was selected for termite-active sites through 2010. In 2006, expanded survey work was discontinued. By 2010 all sites within the original survey area were termite-free. In 2011, a new population of N. corniger was discovered beyond the original 2003 infested tracts. A new (2011–2012) survey revealed a total of four areas outside the original tracts that were infested with N. corniger. No tract treated with fipronil between 2003 and 2010 showed evidence of renewed termite activity in 2011–2012. New application procedures using nest-only and fipronil dust treatments were instituted in May 2012. Live termites were still found within the 2011–2012 treatment area as of November 2013. Very slow but continued spread of N. corniger in tropical urban Florida will have economic consequences as a result of nuisance and structural damage.

Keywords:

• eradication
• Isoptera
• invasive termite
• re-emergence
• termiticide

Acknowledgements

The following Tree Termite Taskforce members were essential to field operations during this project: Mike Beckers and Norm Smith (Certified Pest Control Operators of Florida); Florida Pest Management Association; Fumigation Advisory Council (FAC); Russ Barnes and Ron Box (Hulett Environmental Services); Bart Bruni (Bestec Exterminators); Jon Depriest and Jeff Edwards (Dead Bug Edwards); Al Hoffer (Al Hoffer's Pest Protection); Gil Livingston (PQ Termite Services); Lance McDonald (Terminix); Steve Niedzwiedzki (Univar USA); Gary Spero (Patriot Pest Control); Hugh Turner (Hugh Turner Pest Control); Brian Van Dam (Fulton Pest Solutions); Chip Anderson, Eric Lenz, and Jorge Moreno (Bayer Environmental Sciences); Chris Key and Joe Hughes (BASF); Ellen Thoms and Rudolfo Subieta (Dow AgroSciences); Bayardo Herrera (Lesco); David Obrien, Kevin Nitsch, Laura Remmen, and Matt Remmen (FLREC); Jude Plummer (Miami-Dade County); Mary Peters, Charles Livio, and Mike Orfanedes (Broward County Cooperative Extension Service); Charlie Clark, Mary Cohen, Steven Dwinell, Wayne Gale, Richard Lucas, George Moore, Kathleen Osgood, Mike Petrozzino, Eric Reiss, Neil Richmond, and Gary Tucker (FLDACS DAES); Ed Burns, Randall Dean, Jose Diaz, Jim Dowling, Micaelle Elicier, Mark Fagan, Don Harris, Brian McElroy, Dan Phelps, Fabian Philippoussi, Connie Riherd, and Terry Smith (FLDACS Division of Plant Industry); Lori Parrish (Broward County Board of Commissioners); Curtis Johnson (Broward County Aviation Department); Kurt Cobrick and Bill Gilmartin (Broward County Parks and Recreation Department); Mike Sheridan (City of Dania Beach Public Works and Utilities); Ivan Pato (City of Dania Beach City Manager); Brian and Kate Gaskill (Banyan Bay Marina); Wilson Atkinson, Fred Elsen, and Sully Sullivan (property owners); Bob Gresham, Rob Kramer, and Mike Myatt (IGFA). This work was supported, in part, by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under grant no. 017202. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.