Termite News & Notes

Editor’s note: Suppliers and PMPs, if you have a termite control product or service you’d like to have highlighted in an upcoming issue, please send a press release and a high-resolution photo to jdorsch@gie.net.

Industry to Capture First-Of-Its-Kind Footage of Termite Destruction

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), in January announced its latest research project, the Tiny Termite House, designed to show the destructive nature of termites in a controlled home environment. The group is set to dump 500,000 Formosan termites into a custom, built-to-scale, miniature dream home and capture them at work utilizing a mix of high-definition video footage and photography.

“This project is a really exciting one for our industry because we will be using sophisticated equipment to obtain never-before-seen footage of termites and glean more insight into the important roles that termite castes play in eating their way through homes,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA. “The consumer education aspect of this project is huge. Our goal is to physically demonstrate the hidden dangers that these wood-destroying insects pose to consumers’ biggest investments, and hit home the importance of regular prevention and professional inspection.”

PPMA commissioned a third-party industry partner in the research and production aspects of the project. The tiny, two-story home is being constructed on a cement slab and equipped with insulation, plumbing and electricity to make it as authentic as possible. Other amenities include hardwood floors, a kitchen, a balcony overlooking an in-ground swimming pool and a manicured lawn. The home will be fitted with cameras to observe the progress of the termite colony from introduction to decimation.

Upon final completion of the project, PPMA will embark on robust consumer media relations and social media campaigns tied to Termite Awareness Week, March 11-17. The annual designation is recognized by Chase’s Calendar of Events and is celebrated throughout the pest management industry.

“Termite Awareness Week is a natural fit to unveil the findings and footage captured during the Tiny Termite House project,” added Mannes. “As we approach prime termite season, now is the perfect time to communicate the importance of partnering with a licensed pest control professional to protect their home against these voracious pests.”

For more information about PPMA and all its marketing programs or to subscribe to PPMA’s marketing website Mainframe, visit www.npmapestworld.org/ppma.

BASF Launches Pest Perks Program

Pest management professionals now will be able to receive rewards for purchasing solutions from the entire BASF pest portfolio through the company’s Pest Perks program.

The Pest Perks program provides cash savings on purchases, throughout the year of general pest and termite solutions including Termidor termiticide/insecticide. There is no forced qualification period, the company says. PMPs have all year to achieve maximum savings by reaching the highest rebate level with qualifying purchases.

“Pest Perks works on PMPs’ purchasing schedule, so they can buy when it’s right for them,” said Scott Cole, marketing manager, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions. “We are combining the largest and most innovative pest control portfolio with a program that truly rewards customers, providing them with the best savings and solutions for every pest.”

Customers qualify by purchasing a total of $3,000 on two or more of BASF’s newest pest innovations, including Trelona ATBS Annual Bait Stations, Fendona CS Insecticide, Selontra Rodent Bait and Alpine Cockroach Gel Bait Rotations 1&2, and by reaching one of five rebate levels with appropriate additional purchases. Once qualified, the rebate level applies to all BASF pest control purchases made throughout the year, including all discounted Termidor termiticide/insecticide products. The program runs now through Dec. 31, 2018, and PMPs that qualify are automatically enrolled.

To learn detailed program information, visit www.pestcontrol.basf.us/pestperks.

Polyguard Termite Barrier Receives International Building Code Evaluation

Polyguard Products announced that its TERM Barrier System received an evaluation report as a Termite Physical Barrier from the International Code Council (ICC).

Polyguard’s TERM Barrier System joins Termimesh as the second Termite Physical Barrier evaluated by the ICC. TERM is a termite exclusion system built into the “building envelope,” and is the first building-wide, non-chemical pest exclusion system available to designers and builders for sustainable construction.

The TERM Barrier concept started at a November 1999 meeting with Texas A&M Urban Entomology scientists. The meeting discussed whether Polyguard building envelope materials, which have been used since 1970 to seal moisture and energy leaks, could be refined to seal out termites.

The 1999 meeting started an 18-year program of lab and field testing with Texas A&M and four other major southeastern U.S. entomology labs. The resulting TERM Barrier System, built in at the time of construction, uses upgraded sealants plus several new design details to add pest exclusion capability. TERM Barriers seal off entry points for subterranean termites, as well as entry points of most other pests around the structure.

There are several TERM components where installation by a pest management professional is required or preferred. These are sealant barriers for plumbing or electrical penetration, combination barriers for bath traps and blockouts, sill barriers and particle barriers at exposed building perimeters.

TERM Barriers enable the expansion of IPM within new construction. Sustainable construction standards now call for IPM. IPM, in turn, calls for “Non-chemical pest preventive measures…designed into the structure…”

To meet requirements for the ICC’s AC-380 Termite Physical Barrier standard, TERM Barriers were field tested at four termite-infested sites against both Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes flavipes, which are the most economically destructive termites in the United States. In these five-year field trials, wood protected by TERM Barriers suffered no damage, while all exposed wood control samples were destroyed, the company says.

Polyguard Products is a 100 percent employee-owned manufacturer of protective materials based in Ennis, Texas.

The International Code Council, based in Brea, Calif., is dedicated to developing model building codes which “Protect the health, safety and welfare of people by creating safe buildings and communities.” ICC Codes have been adopted as the building code standard by most U.S. governmental jurisdictions, as well as by many countries worldwide.

MABI USA Injectors, For Use in Post-Construction Treatments, Now Available in the United States

An innovation in termite chemical treatments has made its way to the United States from Europe after decades of research and use, manufacturer MABI USA says. Implementing cutting-edge technology for concrete slab injection of chemicals during termite and pest control treatments, MABI injectors allow even and safer termite treatments under slabs, MABI reports.

Visit www.mabi-usa.com for information and a demonstration of how MABI injectors work.