Anti-termite activities of Indonesia’s essential oils against invasive drywood termite for wood product protection

The Indo-Malayan drywood termite, Cryptotermes cynocephalus (Light) (Kalotermitidae), is considered one of the most invasive drywood termites in the Southeast Asian region. Once infesting a timber, the colony of a drywood termite is very difficult to be controlled. Thus, the best way to mitigate a new infestation of a drywood termite is by applying chemical protection on wood. In recent years, particular attention has been given by researchers to develop and use organic termiticides, such as essential oils extracted from plants as active ingredients. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the repellency performance of several economically important essential oils from Indonesia, such as Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata), Cubeb Pepper (Piper cubeba L), and Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) against a drywood termite, C. cynocephalus. The test was performed by subjecting various concentrations of essential oil toward C. cynocephalus in the force-feeding test method. Sample weight-loss was evaluated after two weeks test. The results suggested that Clove oil has the highest repellence performance against C. cynocephalus, followed by Lemon Grass and Cubeb Pepper oils. The Termite mortality rate was also recorded to understand the toxicity performance of those essential oils.

[1]  Piper cubeba: phytochemical and pharmacological review of a routinely used spices. , 2020, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.

[2]  S. Manguin,et al.  Excito-repellent activity of β-caryophyllene oxide against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles minimus. , 2019, Acta tropica.

[3]  K. Sudesh,et al.  Conventional Technology and Nanotechnology in Wood Preservation: A Review , 2018, BioResources.

[4]  Baekyong Choi,et al.  Quantitative observation of the foraging tunnels in Sitka spruce and Japanese cypress caused by the drywood termite Incisitermes minor (Hagen) by 2D and 3D X-ray computer tomography (CT) , 2017 .

[5]  C. Bertelsmeier,et al.  Invasive termites in a changing climate: A global perspective , 2017, Ecology and evolution.

[6]  S. Himmi,et al.  Nest-Gallery Development and Caste Composition of Isolated Foraging Groups of the Drywood Termite, Incisitermes minor (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) , 2016, Insects.

[7]  Toshiyuki Torigoe,et al.  Wood anatomical selectivity of drywood termite in the nest-gallery establishment revealed by X-ray tomography , 2016, Wood Science and Technology.

[8]  H. Park,et al.  Microencapsulation of essential oil for insect repellent in food packaging system. , 2013, Journal of food science.

[9]  B. Ibrahim,et al.  Appraisal of the Economic Activities of Termites: A Review , 2012 .

[10]  A. Gupta,et al.  An Update on Bioactive Potential of a Monoterpene Aldehyde Citral , 2012 .

[11]  Khoirul Himmi Setiawan,et al.  The Efficacy of Organo-Complex-Based Wood Preservative Formula Against Dry-Wood Termite Cryptotermes cynocephalus Light , 2011, Insects.

[12]  Aditi Gupta,et al.  Biopesticidal value of selected essential oils against pathogenic fungus, termites, and nematodes , 2011 .

[13]  J. Olivero-Verbel,et al.  Repellent activity of essential oils: a review. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[14]  Satyawati Sharma,et al.  Biological alternatives for termite control: A review , 2009 .

[15]  C. Clausen,et al.  Fumigant toxicity of essential oils to Reticulitermes flavipes , 2008 .

[16]  F. Chen,et al.  Evaluation of Vetiver Oil and Seven Insect-Active Essential Oils Against the Formosan Subterranean Termite , 2001, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[17]  A. Shelton,et al.  Development of a bioassay system for monitoring susceptibility in Thrips tabaci. , 2003, Pest management science.