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A pepper derivative repels
By Gary T. Kubota
Formosan termites, but experts
remain wary
Star-BulletinWAILUKU -- Formosan ground termites, sometimes called "super termites" for their ability to bore through hollow tile, have their own form of Kryptonite, according to New Mexico Tech researchers.
They can't stand hot stuff.
Researchers say the ground termites won't eat paints and stains combined with the chili pepper chemical capsaicin.
Capsaicin is contained in pepper spray and has been used for years to ward off would-be human attackers.
But pest-control experts warn that the Formosan termite is a formidable enemy.
The termite, which can fly as well as bore underground, has been spreading its destruction, wrecking wooden structures across the southern United States and in Hawaii.
According to one estimate, the termite has been responsible for $2 billion in damages in New Orleans alone during the past 10 years.
In Hawaii, more than $100 million a year is spent on controlling termites and repairing their damage.
"They're a sort of super termite in the termite world," said University of Hawaii entomologist Kenneth Grace. "Generally, they will go through the center of a hollow tile."
They also have a social structure that allows them to produce more queens, if the queen dies, and to isolate a group of sick termites, Grace said.
Each colony has millions of termites. A colony of 3 million can eat about a foot of a 2-by-4 plank a day, he said.
Researchers have been looking for a safe and effective means of controlling Formosan termites since the mid-1980s, when some anti-termite chemicals were banned by the federal government.
One of them was Chloridane, suspected of causing cancer.
Pest-control workers say they have been using a variety of chemicals and methods since then to protect homes, but with less success.
Some put poisonous bait underground around houses in hopes that the termite will eat it.
There's also the traditional gas tenting that kills the termites in the house but does little to kill the Formosan termite, which usually nests underground.
Pest control expert Dick Fukushima, who's been in business since 1945, says he's been applying a chemical barrier for several years that has a kind of Alzheimer's effect on the Formosan termite.
"The termite loses its memory, stops eating and stops grooming each other," Fukushima said.
"Fungus grows on the body. That's what kills them."
Fukushima is doubtful that capsaicin will be extremely popular because there are other chemical solutions that may be used to treat wood.
He said the problem lies in the termite's ability to find a cut or an untreated section of wood.
Formosan termites are known for boring inside a wooden beam, leaving the chemically-treated shell alone.
C. Ed Hall, whose business, Medd4, is marketing the capsaicin formula, said the beauty of his product is that it's from a plant and isn't toxic.
"We're pleased it's a repellent," he said. "It's an irritant, but it's certainly not poisonous."
Hall said several companies are reviewing the formula in their own laboratories to determine if they want to use it in their products.
Before being sold, the formula will need to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hall said.
But he does not expect any problems because it already is used in other products.
With Formosan termite infestation becoming a major problem in the southern United States, Grace expects there will be a greater demand for pesticide controls.
"You're probably going to see a lot of products," he said.
"I hope they all work."
