Termites are a gaggle of insects (Isoptera) consisting of two ,500 species of which 300 are considered pests. Termites are one of the foremost damaging pests within the tropics and should cause considerable problems in agriculture, forestry and housing. There are several families and subfamilies. Some have nests underground, others in wood, as an example hollow trees, and some build mounds. Before control methods are often adopted a basic identification of the pest species or family is required . This may be done by observing pest behaviour and thus the damage pattern on the tree or crop. The foremost troublesome type of termites in agriculture are the fungus-growing termites. They kill dead organic material like crop residues, mulches and soil organic matter (humus). However when this kind of food isn’t available they’re going to eat live material including crops like groundnuts, millets
and maize. If you need instant solution for them check spider pest control and get the immediate solution
Harvester termites are found in dry and semi-desert areas. They build underground nests which can be difficult to locate. They collect live green stuff and cause damage to living grasses, crops and seedlings. they’re going to attack weak plants that are wilting or damaged.
Benefits provided by termites?
Although usually considered pests, termites can also provide many benefits. Therefore before control measures are used an assessment should be manufactured from the next benefits against the loss of termites from the ecosystem.
Benefits include:
- Aeration of the soil due to termite burrowing activities.
- The breakdown and release of organic matter as termites eat and digest soil.
- Improved soil fertility when termite mounds, which are rich in minerals, are crushed down and incorporated into the soil.
- A source of minerals for cattle who lick the mounds.
A source of protein rich food for several organisms including ants, guinea and other mammals including humans.
Chemical control
Chemical control is that the generally accepted method of termite control over the years has been chemical pesticides. However chemicals are expensive and have many harmful effects.
Safety for people
This creates health hazards for humans. There’s also much concern for people using chemical pesticides. The products could even be misused because the instructions don’t seem to be written within the language understood by the person using them. This has led to many accidents and deaths.
Safety for the environment
There are sort of harmful effects that chemical pesticides can wear the
environment.
- Artificial pesticide can kill useful insects which eat pests. only 1 spray
- can upset the balance between pests and so the useful predators which eat them.
- Artificial chemicals can stay within the environment and within the bodies of
- animals causing problems for several years.
Pests become proof against pesticides so more powerful chemicals are
needed.
Cost
Using natural pest and disease control is sometimes cheaper than applying chemical pesticides because products and materials which are already within the house and round the farm are most often used.
Organic control methods
There are form of alternatives to using chemical pesticides for termite
control. These methods work within the natural system and help promote natural
pest control mechanisms.
- Organic control methods don’t pollute the environment and are not harmful to beneficial insects and animals, or to the people using them.
- Organic methods aim to use locally available materials and do not believe importing expensive materials from elsewhere.
- Organic methods are cheap and simple to use.
- Organic methods preserve genetic diversity within the farming system which helps provide resistance to termite pests.
- Organic methods regulate termite numbers rather than eliminate them so
- that the benefits provided by termites aren’t lost.
The level of control depends on the knowledge of pest species, the tree or crop species, climate and other environmental factors like soil type and native vegetation cover. Methods of control are simpler if utilized in conjunction with each other , with maximum use of local knowledge and resources.
Termite control methods are described during this booklet. a variety of them come from individual research studies and haven’t been widely tested.
