Application strategies by selective medium treated with entomopathogenic bacteria and as potential biocontrol against .

The success of microbial termiticides in controlling termites depends on the ability of microbes to grow in different media and the functionality of the microbes as a resistant barrier or toxic bait. This study was conducted to understand the mortality rate and behaviour changes of the subterranean termite Holmgren introduced with different concentrations of strain LGMS 1 and strain LGMS 3 using wood and soil as bacterial transfer medium. In general, higher concentration of bacteria in soil caused a reduction in tunnelling activity and wood consumption and an increase in mortality. However, application on wood revealed a different outcome. Wood treated with of 10 CFU ml concentration proved to be more efficient as bait than higher concentration applications as it caused a high mortality rate while still highly palatable for termites. Wood or soil treated with concentration higher than 10 CFU ml creates a high toxicity and repellent barrier for termites. of 10 CFU ml concentrations applied on wood served as a slow-acting toxic bait. However, the ability for and to survive on wood is low, which made the bait unable to retain a useful level of toxicity for a long period of time and frequent reapplication is needed.