Changing termite practices
Changing your termite practice could be a change for the better
Australia’s new termite standards are now in full force, and for many pest professionals, this means some changes in the way we attempt to control these common pests.
The biggest change to grapple with is the new restriction on arsenic: specifically, on the use of arsenic trioxide for the remedial treatment of termites in occupied structures. In addition, you may have also noticed that some fipronil-based termite dusts have recently been removed from the market. Clearly, times are changing. Traditional product options for termite control are being retired, leaving the door open for new, innovative options.
Adapting the new approach of a Termite Management Plan (TMP), may seem like a hassle, especially if your current practice has served you well for many years. But it can also be a great step forward for your business. Replacing arsenic trioxide – labelled a Dangerous Poison – not only excludes, but removes health risks for you and your customers; it also gives you an opportunity to trial many of the excellent solutions that are now available for termite control.
View the updated Australian Termite Standards: Part 1 and Part 2.
ALTRISET and ARILON: highly effective options for termite control
Today, there are many incredibly effective products for treating termite infestations: solutions that not only work, but are easy to use with long-lasting results. Now is a great time to try these options, and learn some new skills along the way.
Two products to consider are ALTRISET Termiticide and ARILON: a broad-spectrum insecticide that is also effective on termites.
Developed by Syngenta, both ALTRISET and ARILON are non-repellent chemistries, which means there is no risk of repelling termites and locking them into inaccessible locations around the structures of the house. Instead, each product is carefully formulated so its active ingredient is transferred between termites via their natural grooming and communication techniques. This helps you eradicate the entire colony – not just the 10% that you can see.
Both products are also approved by the APVMA for indoor use, but are just as effective outside on posts, stumps and other external structures. You can use them to complement a full termite chemical treatment zone as an integral part of your Termite Management Plan (TMP), or to partner with a bait monitor system.
Each product also has its own benefits. As a broad-spectrum insecticide, ARILON controls a wide variety of ants, cockroaches and houseflies as well as termites, making it a great product to have in the back of the truck. It’s also proven to work faster than fipronil. ARILON’s active ingredient, indoxacarb, knocks down termites quickly, and comes in a water dispersible granule that is easy to use.
ALTRISET is a non-scheduled product, making it the termiticide of choice for any situation but especially useful where lower toxicity is important: sensitive areas, residential homes and confined spaces such as subfloors. Its active ingredient, chlorantraniliprole, targets the termite’s muscles, not the nervous system like other liquid termiticides. This not only gives termites time to spread the active ingredient to the rest of the colony; by paralysing the insect’s muscles, ALTRISET stops termites feeding within 2-4 hours after exposure. It’s also remarkably effective as a chemical soil treatment, providing control for up to 8 years south of the Tropic of Capricorn and 4 years north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
