Hexaflumuron Environmentally Safe Termite Control

One of the Professor of the Department of Forest Products, Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB Fahutan), Prof. Dr. Dodi Nandika, stated that there are about 200 species of subterranean termites in Indonesia and five per cent of them become the enemy of man. In the tropics, especially in Indonesia, subterranean termites Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren is the most important building pest, it cause damage to wood and wood building.

"Economic losses due to termite attack of both ground and dry wood termites in Indonesia in 1995 was about Rp 1.67 trillion, and even had increased  to Rp. 2.8 trillion. This loss was likely to increase due to the availability of the types of durable wood is scarce," he said.

In the Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Hasil Hutan,  December 2012 issue reported that Prof. Dodi Nandika and Novianti S. Wahyu examined the efficacy of active ingredients Hexaflumuron bait against subterranean termites. In this article, Prof. Nandika revealed that that a bait formula containing the active ingredient Hexaflurumon able to eliminate the termite colony C. curvignathus within for four weeks.

Hexaflumuron is a benzoylphenyl urea-type insecticide.  This chemical has low toxicity to mammals, pungent aroma, react slowly and do not cause severe irritation so that insects do not reject it.

"After eating the bait Hexaflumuron for three weeks, the termites shows symptoms death. Hexaflumuron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, inhibits the termites’ ability to produce chitin (skin substance). As worker termites feed on the bait material, they transfer the Hexaflumuron throughout the entire colony via a process known as ‘trophallaxis’. Termites shed their skin (moult) a number of times throughout their lives as they grow or as their skin is damaged. When they next moult, the exposure to Hexaflumuron renders them unable to produce chitin. Consequently they die, leading to the elimination of the entire colony "he said.. (Wied).