Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PREFERENCE OF SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES MACROTERMES GILVUS HAGEN (BLATTODEA: TERMITIDAE) CONTROL USING SMOKE WOOD AND BORAX

Niken Subekti, Saniaturrohmah, Sonika Maulana, Kholiq Budiman and Priyantini Widiyaningrum

Abstract

Termites are widely known as building pests. Gunungpati, Semarang is a suitable area for the termites Macrotermes gilvus Hagen. Feeding preference of subterranean termites Macrotermes gilvus Hagen (Blattodea: Termitidae) was investigated. Nowadays, termite control used synthetic chemical compounds. Therefore, it is necessary to control termites by using organic compounds that are environmentally friendly. The aims of this study is to analyse food consumption and the durability of M. gilvus Hagen termites after liquid smoke treatment using sengon wood waste and borax. The method that used in this study was the preference test for M. gilvus termites with liquid smoke treatment using sengon and borax waste, mortality test and GCMS analysis of sengon wood. The results showed that liquid smoke from sengon wood at a concentration of 0.5% was effective for controlling M. gilvus Hagen termites for 40 hours, meanwhile borax could control M. gilvus Hagen termites with a concentration of 0.5% for 16 hours. This research can serve as a reference for termite control companies in Indonesia.