<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><!-- saved from url=(0048)http://www-afpmb.acq.osd.mil/pubs/tims/tim29.htm -->
Armed Forces
Technical Guide No. 29
Integrated
Published and Distributed by the
Armed
Office of the Deputy
Under Secretary of Defense (Installations & Environment)
Forest Glen Section, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC 20307-5001
July 2003
Table of Contents
· Rats
· Mice
· Ants
· Miscellaneous Crawling Pests
· Termites
· Birds
· OTHER IPM TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES
· Cleaning
· Ventilation and Indoor Drainage
· Designing For Pest Management
· Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance
· CONTROL OF WOOD-DESTROYING INSECTS
· Detection Methods and Equipment
· ULTRASONIC, ELECTROMAGNETIC, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES
This is one of a series of Technical Guides (TGs) published by the Defense Pest Management Information Analysis Center (DPMIAC), Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). The AFPMB is a directorate within the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) that recommends policies and procedures, provides guidance, and coordinates the exchange of information related to pest management throughout the Department of Defense (DoD). As a unit of the AFPMB, DPMIAC collects, stores and disseminates published and unpublished information on arthropod vectors and pests, natural resources, and environmental biology important to the DoD. Other DPMIAC products include country- or region-specific Disease Vector Ecology Profiles (DVEPs). All TGs and DVEPs, as well as DPMIAC’s database of over 200,000 articles on pest management and medical zoology, are available at the AFPMB Web site <http://www.afpmb.org>.
TGs (formerly Technical Information Memoranda or TIMs) are not policy documents; rather, they provide technical guidance for the use of the DoD pest management community and others. Accordingly, TGs should not be construed or referenced as policy. DoD pest management policies may be found in DoD Instruction 4715.1, "Environmental Security," DoD Instruction 4150.7, "DoD Pest Management Program," other DoD directives and instructions, and implementing component directives/instructions/ regulations.
Inquiries, comments or suggestions for improving TGs may be directed to the Chief, DPMIAC, at (301) 295-7476, FAX (301) 295-7473.
The Armed Forces Pest Management Board
is indebted to the many entomologists and others who have given freely of their
time and talents to contribute their guidance to this manual. The Board is grateful
to Dr. Albert Greene, Ph.D., entomologist with the General Services
Administration, National Capital Region,
TIM 25, "Devices for Electrocuting Flying Insects", was cancelled and incorporated into this Technical Guide in April 2001. TIM 35, "Termite Inspections" was cancelled and incorporated into this Technical Guide in December 2001.
Any mention of specific proprietary products used in integrated pest management does not constitute recommendation or endorsement of these products by the Department of Defense. Neither should the absence of an item necessarily be interpreted as DoD disapproval. Information or inquiries concerning any equipment or products should be sent through Command Pest Management Professionals or Applied Biologists to the Armed Forces Pest Management Board for evaluation by the Real Property Protection Committee.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is defined in DoD Instruction 4150.7 as "a planned program, incorporating continuous monitoring, education, record-keeping, and communication to prevent pests and disease vectors from causing unacceptable damage to operations, people, property, materiel, or the environment. IPM uses targeted, sustainable(effective, economical, environmentally sound) methods including habitat, modification, biological control, genetic control, cultural control, mechanical control, physical control, regulatory control, and where necessary, the judicious use of least-hazardous pesticides."
IPM has been implemented in DoD pest management programs for many years.. DoD's strategic plan for environmental security, drafted in 1993, mandated a 50% reduction in the pesticide use by 2000, a goal that was accomplished. A current Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Measure of Merit requires continued reduction in pesticide use. The required strategy to accomplish this goal includes expanding existing IPM practices. Properly implemented, IPM
· minimizes harm to human health and the environment
· reduces the need for pesticides
· reduces pest resistance
· minimizes pesticide waste
It is incumbent upon all personnel involved in military pest management programs to actively support IPM initiatives and provide resources for implementation. This includes trained Pest Controllers (PC), Pest Control Quality Assurance Evaluators (PCQAE), golf course superintendents, credit card managers, Pest Management Consultants (PMC), Integrated Natural Resources Plan managers, and managers and supervisors responsible for real property, food services and custodial services. It has never been more important for Pest Management Consultants to ensure that IPM strategies and methodologies are incorporated into installation pest management plans, installation program reviews and contracting processes, training for DoD Pest Controllers and Pest Control Quality Assurance Evaluators.
This is not a cookbook on IPM. (A checklist of "DoD Integrated Pest Management Methods" is available in wall chart format from DPMIAC/AFPMB.) The purpose here is to present a sampling of techniques and procedures to illustrate the facilities management approach to pest control. All of the methods cited have been tried previously, and all have proved successful in real-world situations. But since buildings vary enormously, no method will work equally well in all circumstances. The challenge of IPM is that it often cannot be delivered by formula. Once the basic principles have been understood, there is no substitute for resourcefulness and ingenuity in developing practical, site-specific pest management solutions. Another objective of this document is to illustrate the variety of control techniques that can be used in IPM.
This Memorandum may never be "completed"; to include all possible methodologies would greatly delay the publication of any IPM guidance. Additionally, specialized buildings such as health and dining facilities, food/fabric storage or warehouses and prisons are not included, although many of the same IPM principles still apply.
Outdoor IPM programs will be addressed in future publications. Excellent opportunities for implementing IPM already exist in the control of weeds, turf and ornamental pests, forest pests, and disease vectors.
Unique Program. The elimination and prevention of pests in buildings is a distinct facilities services program, not just a custodial function, whether performed by in-house forces or by contract.
Program Scope. Modern pest management begins with the planning, design and maintenance of buildings. Once buildings are constructed, inspections often reveal pest problems. All personnel responsible for cleaning and solid waste management programs must contribute to effective pest management. IPM is truly a multi-disciplinary function.
Concerns of a Modern
IPM and Old-fashioned
· Identifying specific pest infestations
· Controlling these infestations with short-term solutions including pesticides
· Reducing or eliminating the causes of infestation with long-term solutions such as structural modification
IPM methods must be safe and cost-effective. The critical components of IPM programs include cleaning, solid waste management, structural maintenance, pesticide application, and occupant education. IPM differs from old-fashioned pest control in many ways (Table 1).
Attributes of IPM Programs are:
Proactive Program. Old-fashioned pest control methods tended to ignore the causes of pest problems, and instead reacted and temporarily removed a small part of the infestation with chemicals. Although IPM also includes an immediate corrective response that may employ pesticides, it is mainly a preventive maintenance process that controls pests by reducing their food, water, harborage, and entry points. Hence, it is imperative that IPM begin with the structural planning and design process.
Management Process. Old-fashioned pest control relied on the "exterminator" to solve pest problems, often without a pest management professional determining what services were needed and the type of control desired. Lasting solutions usually depend on coordinated initiatives to upgrade sanitation, housekeeping and repair.
Minimal Pesticide Use. Old-fashioned pest control consisted of routine pesticide application whether pests were present or not. IPM consists of routine inspection and monitoring, but treatment only when pests are actually present. Scheduled, repetitive pesticide treatment without regard for pest population dynamics is ineffective and environmentally unsound. IPM can reduce the potential for liability resulting from ecological insults or adverse effects on human health.
Least Toxic Treatment. Non-chemical control alternatives should always be considered before the use of pesticides. Old-fashioned pest control included the application of excessive amounts of pesticides to exposed areas far from where needed. Baseboard spraying and room fogging is still widely practiced by some in the pest control industry. These techniques are not very effective for killing cockroaches and other insects that live deep within furniture, equipment, or structural elements. IPM requires that pesticides, when needed, be applied with precision and restraint. It emphasizes that only the safest compounds, formulations, and methods of application are appropriate. Insecticide baits are usually preferable to sprays. Sprays, when necessary, should be limited strictly to "crack and crevice" applications. Space sprays and fogging are reserved for unusual situations where no other solution is practical. Baits are the default method for controlling cockroaches and ants indoors.
Technical Expertise. Old-fashioned pest control technicians did little except operate compressed air sprayers. IPM requires a much higher standard of in-house and contractor expertise to be successful. It is essential that managers have informed technical guidance on all aspects of the pest control effort.
The
Getting Started: The Six Steps of the IPM Process. The IPM process is mostly common sense. The challenge lies in having enough patience and skill to gradually replace old attitudes and habits. Each pest problem, great or small, usually presents the pest controller with six basic tasks:
· Understanding and Educating the Customer. Most pest control in and around buildings is a service to the occupants and is performed at their request. The IPM process therefore typically begins with people rather than pests. Customer relations is always a two-way street. Educating the customer about pest management is essential, but it is much more effective if the pest controller first understands customer concerns and expectations. Education begins by explaining whether or not the concerns are warranted and the expectations attainable. As in any service occupation, the ability to listen to and communicate with people is absolutely essential.
·
Analyzing the
· Taking Short-Term, Corrective Action. Although IPM emphasizes a "preventive maintenance" approach to pest problems, the real world often demands immediate corrective action. In many cases, the use of pesticides for this purpose is unavoidable. However, all concerned must understand that every corrective action will employ the least toxic method.
·
Implementing Long-Term, Preventive Action.
Ongoing, "built-in" control actions indirectly reduce pests by
minimizing their food, harborage, and access. These actions are the heart of
the IPM process and a fundamental measure of its success. Sanitation and
exclusion may be difficult to plan, coordinate, and execute but are critical
for success.
· Monitoring, Documenting, and Evaluating Results. DoD pest control reporting systems include options for non-chemical control. Accurate record keeping is necessary to document IPM successes.
· Getting Back to the Customer. Measurement of customer satisfaction is easy to ignore, but critical for program viability. The pest controller's own performance evaluation may not totally coincide with the opinions of others who are more directly affected by the pest problem. Customer satisfaction is a prerequisite for program support.
CONTRASTS BETWEEN
OLD-FASHIONED
Element Old-Fashioned Integrated
Program strategy Reactive Preventive pest control
Customer education Minimal Extensive
Potential liability High Low
Emphasis Routine pesticide Pesticides used when
application exclusion, sanitation,
etc, are inadequate
Inspection and monitoring Minimal Extensive
Pesticide application By schedule By need
Insecticides in occupied Sprays & aerosols Baits
spaces
Application of sprayed Surface treatment Mostly crack and
insecticides crevice
Use of insecticide space Extensive Minimal
spraying & fogging
Rodent control Emphasis on Emphasis on
Rodenticide trapping, sanitation
and exclusion
Bird control Emphasis on avicide Emphasis on
exclusion
General Inspection Considerations. Most pest problems in a building are discovered and reported by the occupants. Installation and contractor inspection of specific areas where pests have been reported should provide answers to these questions:
· How are the pests getting in, and can this access be reduced or eliminated?
· What food source or other attractant has drawn the pests and can this source be reduced or eliminated?
· Where exactly are the pests living, and can these sites be physically altered, removed, or treated with traps or chemicals?
Common
Rats dig burrows around foundations, in earthen banks and in planting beds. They are attracted to debris and food in unsecured waste storage containers. Rat problems originate outside buildings. Rodents usually stay at ground level and below but, if they gain access to wall voids, may climb to upper floors. Rat control starts with three principal operations that do not involve the pest control contractor: sanitation, housekeeping and structural maintenance. These operations are generally more important than trapping and poisoning.
Securing Garbage and Trash. Since trash may contain food scraps attractive to rats, all collected waste must be stored for pickup in rat-proof containers or kept in a rat-proof room constructed of materials that cannot be easily gnawed. Rats can penetrate gaps greater than 1/2 inch. Compactors should be of a self-contained design and equipped with protective doors that close over the charge box.
Eliminating Unnecessary Storage and Debris. Building grounds, loading docks, and interior space at street level and below should be kept as free as possible of debris that rats can use for shelter. Anything soft, such as rolled carpeting, insulation, or padded furniture, is particularly attractive to rats.
Eliminating
Access To Buildings. Rats commonly enter buildings
through open or poorly fitted doors and windows, unscreened vents, cracks in
masonry, or holes gnawed in weather stripping or utility entrances.
Bait boxes. Rodenticide baits are normally effective only if there is little alternative food for the rats. Sanitation, therefore, is a prerequisite for baiting. Although pest control contractors often place bait boxes around building exteriors, their use on DoD property is not recommended unless other control measures have failed or are impractical. All bait boxes on DoD property should conform to the following EPA guidelines:
· Box anchored in place so that it cannot be picked up
· Box lid secured with fastener or locking tie
· Box of a "tamper-resistant" design, with a protected feeding chamber and constructed of a sturdy material
· Bait placed only in the feeding chamber (not placed in box entrance or inserted into burrows)
· Box label with name of rodenticide and last date of service
All pesticides must be used in strict accordance with the label directions. Using a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its label directions is a violation of Federal law.
Tracking Powder. Tracking powder applied deeply into burrows with a hand operated duster is one of the most effective ways of poisoning rats and may be the only way of poisoning bait-shy individuals. Treatment with tracking powders is most effective in dry weather.
Trapping. Indoor control of rats is accomplished with snap traps and large glue boards. Either may be used outdoors in protected locations. Care must be taken to place traps in safe locations and out of public view. Traps and boards must be checked regularly.
Mice may enter buildings from the outside, but many mouse problems originate indoors. Although large numbers can build up in food service areas or trash rooms, small numbers can survive practically anywhere. Mice generally nest within 15 feet of their food source and frequently spread through a structure along pipes, cables, and ducts. The increased use of raised flooring for electric cables in telecommunications and computer facilities has greatly increased potential mouse harborage in public and commercial buildings.
Sealing Entry Points. A practical control measure for limited areas is blocking access routes into occupied spaces by sealing utility openings or chases. Young mice can squeeze through cracks just wider than one-quarter inch. Entry points can be sealed with caulk, copper mesh, steel wool, or polyurethane foam. Large, open office areas or rooms in older buildings may have so many potential access points that sealing is impractical.
Cleaning and Housekeeping. Sanitation for mouse control is similar to that required for controlling cockroaches. All food and refuse should be stored in sealed containers. Surfaces, crevices and containers should be free of food residue. Refuse should be removed daily. Strict attention to cleanliness is essential for mouse control in food service areas. However, it is often difficult to achieve a level of office sanitation that actually makes a difference for a scattered, low-level mouse infestation.
Rodenticides. Rodenticide bait or tracking powder is generally not recommended for mouse control inside buildings because of the potential odor from dead mice behind walls. In addition, there is always the chance that tracking powder applied in out-of-the-way locations may be disturbed during future renovation work.
Trapping. Glue boards and snap traps are usually the most effective devices for controlling small numbers of mice. Extreme care must be taken to conceal traps in order to avoid adverse occupant reaction. Windup, multiple-catch traps can be useful for controlling large infestations in kitchens or unoccupied spaces, provided the necessary sanitation and sealing measures are also carried out.
Two species are responsible for most
pest complaints and pesticide use in public and commercial buildings in the
Sanitation. Cleanup to reduce cockroaches in an office environment must focus mainly on the food residue in and around coffee machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators, trashcans, and furniture where exposed food is stored. Occupants concerned about cockroaches in their workplace must understand their own responsibility for storing all food in tightly sealed containers and for cleaning surfaces on which food is prepared or consumed. Daily afternoon trash pickup is recommended. Removal of corrugated cardboard is especially important since it provides excellent harborage for cockroaches. Dedicated containers with a tight lid and a plastic liner, replaced daily, for disposal of all items will reduce cockroach problems. The most effective cockroach control technique for food service areas and trash rooms is regular steam cleaning or pressure washing of all possible structural crevices and equipment.
Caulking. Permanent reduction of cockroach populations may be achieved by eliminating harborage. A caulking gun is probably the most appropriate symbol of modern pest control. Care must be taken to completely seal the entire crevice so that cockroach access is totally eliminated. Types of space where caulk or grout are most effective include food service areas, restrooms, and janitors' closets. The most common types of cracks to eliminate include: where sinks and fixtures are mounted to the wall or floor, around all types of plumbing, baseboard molding and corner guards, where shelves and cabinets meet walls or door frames, and any cracks on or near food preparation surfaces. Care must be taken to clean surface areas around cracks before applying caulk; surface dirt can reduce the adhesive ability of caulking material.
Baiting. Containerized paste or gel baits should be the standard insecticide treatment for cockroaches in most occupied spaces. Bait stations containing hydramethylnone virtually revolutionized cockroach control in the 1990's. The small plastic bait containers should be placed as close as possible to the dark, concealed spots where cockroaches are actually living, preferably adjacent to edges and corners. The most common mistakes in using containerized bait are failure to eliminate nearby alternate food, and failure to use enough containers. For example, at least 2 - 3 bait stations should be placed in infested desks. Containers should be replaced after 3 months or sooner at the beginning of a baiting program if cockroaches are very numerous. The newer transparent bait stations facilitate checking baits for consumption. Paste or gel baits are most effective when applied in many small dabs, preferably with a syringe-like dispensing tool. The newer insecticide baits are safe and highly effective if carefully injected into crevices.
Crack and Crevice Spraying. Spraying is sometimes the most practical and effective way to apply pesticide in food service areas, restrooms, and trash rooms. Spray must be precisely applied in small amounts only to cracks and crevices. A "crack and crevice" treatment implies that the stream of insecticide is never visible during the spraying process.
Sticky Traps. Many types of cardboard or plastic sticky traps are available to help the pest control technician or installation personnel pinpoint sources of cockroach infestation, or monitor areas where occupants have complained but no infestations can be visually detected. Sticky traps are not intended for control but rather to guide and evaluate control efforts as part of the inspection process.
Several types of cockroaches grow to
over an inch and a half long; these are commonly called waterbugs or, in
Drying. One of the most effective ways to control large cockroaches in buildings is to reduce moisture by fixing leaks, improving drainage, and installing screened vents to increase airflow.
Sealing Entry Points. Cockroach access routes from wall voids into occupied spaces can be blocked with caulk or grout applied around plumbing and electrical fixtures Basement floor drains should be fitted with screens or basket inserts that are cleaned regularly.
Housekeeping. In addition to eliminating food residue, reducing clutter is critical for large cockroach control. Large cockroaches like to hide in stacked boxes, cartons, rolled carpeting and any stored paper or cardboard materials, particularly in dark, damp locations.
Baiting. As with the small cockroaches, pesticide control should emphasize the use of baits rather than sprays The PMC should be consulted for current recommendations.
Most species of indoor pest ants come from nests located outside the building or inside wall voids. Therefore, the most effective control typically entails sealing up cracks (usually around windows and other locations on exterior walls) where the ants are entering. Close observation on the outside often can help pinpoint these access crevices. Vegetation in contact with the building exterior, such as tree limbs or climbing ivy, should be removed. Containerized, slow-acting bait is usually the most effective type of pesticide treatment for temporary control. Permanent control requires that the nest be located and destroyed.
Many types of ants produce winged queens and males which swarm at certain times of the year. Large numbers of swarmers may pour out of crevices into a room, even in locations that never had a problem with crawling ants. Swarming ants can severely disrupt operations and often result in occupant demands for spraying. In cases where the ants are relatively concentrated, such as at windows, they may be vacuumed and disposed of in an outdoor trash receptacle. However, in some cases, a space spray with a pyrethroid insecticide may be the only practical response. Winged ants emerging inside a building usually die quickly or disperse, so spraying tends to be of little value if not done immediately. Rooms should be unoccupied during a space spray treatment, all electronic equipment should be well covered, and the space should be ventilated for at least several hours before reoccupation. The standard procedure to prevent future swarming is to locate the ants' entry points (and the nest itself, if possible), inject a pesticide into these crevices, and seal up entry points afterwards.
There are four species of ants causing problems that require a special response after positive identification:
Pharaoh Ants. Pharaoh ants are tiny yellowish-brown to reddish-brown ants that can nest in almost any hollow place inside a building. In an office, for example, these ants could come from inside a table leg or room divider, behind a baseboard or switch plate, above the ceiling or under the floor. In warm climates, colonies may be located outside. It is important that sprays not be used for control attempts. Colonies stressed by sprays often respond by dividing. If spray is continually applied, this dividing process results in many widely scattered colonies that infest an increasingly greater area. A bait specifically labeled for pharaoh ants must be used.
Fire Ants. In warmer climates, fire ants can be a stinging hazard on building grounds, and sometimes indoors. Use of pesticides for fire ant control is usually unavoidable. Treatment often combines injection of spray into individual mounds with use of bait formulations broadcast over wider areas. Baits containing fipronil, introduced in 2001, offer great promise for controlling fire ants. PMCs should be consulted for current recommendations.
Carpenter Ants. Carpenter ants are large ants that tunnel in wood. Small numbers in a building may simply be invaders from an outdoor nest that can be controlled by sealing up their point of entry. Large numbers inside typically indicate the presence of a nest within the building. Carpenter ants generally prefer wood that is moist and are considered to be an "early warning signal" of structural leaks or drainage problems. Control consists of locating the nest, injecting pesticide directly into it, replacing the damaged wood, and eliminating or reducing any source of moisture.
These tiny flies are introduced into buildings many times a day during warm weather, usually as nearly invisible immatures (eggs, larvae, pupae) on or in fruit. Since large numbers of these immatures can develop into adult flies within several days, and since one female fruit fly can then lay several hundred eggs, infestations build up rapidly when sanitation is not rigorous. Adult flies are easily dispersed throughout a structure by the air handling system and by hitchhiking on trash pickup carts. Although fruit flies are totally harmless and cannot bite, many people consider them an intolerable nuisance.
Sanitation. Fruit fly breeding sources are often difficult to find but eliminating the breeding sources is essential. Fruit fly larvae (maggots) require moist, fermenting material in which to develop. Typical sites that generate large numbers of flies include trash rooms and trash pickup carts, can and bottle recycling areas, and any space where food is routinely prepared, dispensed, and consumed. However, there may be dozens of smaller, local sources throughout a building that contribute to the problem. These include leaks under refrigerators, dirty mops, clogged drains, or peels and rinds left in trash receptacles.
Trapping. Fruit fly problems can be greatly reduced by the use of traps. There are many different trap designs, but all work by using bait to attract the flies into a container. Two of the most effective baits are ripe banana and vinegar. Some traps lure the flies through a funnel or similar "one-way" opening, while others rely on the collected flies eventually drowning in a liquid bait. Homemade traps can be easily fashioned from mason jars fitted with paper funnels, but several inexpensive plastic models are commercially available. Traps are remarkably effective, but problems can arise when either too few are deployed or servicing (removing flies and renewing bait) is too infrequent. An increasing number of pest control contractors are using traps as part of their normal service for fruit fly infestations.
Space Sprays. Space sprays are not recommended for fruit fly control since the potential for adverse occupant reaction to the pesticide usually exceeds any short-term benefit. However, in cases where very large numbers of flies are severely disrupting operations, a space spray with a pyrethroid-based insecticide may be the only practical response. Rooms should be unoccupied during the treatment, all electronic equipment should be covered, and the space should be adequately ventilated. If the breeding source is not discovered and corrected, sprays will only give temporary relief.
Crawling insects are best controlled by sealing entry points and vacuuming intruders. Tight seals around windows, doors, utility access holes, and weather-stripping will usually reduce crawling insects. Residual insecticides sprayed on surfaces near potential entry points may be effective; microencapsulated formulations should be considered.
Spiders. Although fear of spiders is common, poisonous species are not often encountered in most general use buildings. Harmless, crawling spiders are occasionally a nuisance in basements or warehouses. Spiders that build webs in secluded corners or in outdoor locations such as eaves and lights can be removed with a vacuum.
Crickets. These insects commonly invade basements and crawl spaces, seeking dark, cool, moist areas. They are harmless to humans but the sounds they produce may be annoying, particularly at night. They feed on organic matter and sometimes damage woolen, silk and cotton clothing and other fabrics. Field crickets usually invade buildings late in the summer when fresh vegetation becomes scarce. Crickets may be excluded by closing gaps under doors and around loose-fitting windows and vents to the exterior. Indoor controls should include moisture reduction, sticky traps and, if necessary, a residual insecticide.
Centipedes. Most species of centipedes are harmless. To avoid contact with centipedes, two physical control methods are recommended: general cleanup of debris to eliminate their hiding places, and maintenance of close-fitting doors and screening.
Termites damage wooden structures and incidental wood in steel and concrete buildings, such as trim or molding, paneling, furring strips, or door and window frames. Files, stacked books, or any other cellulose material, such as fiberboard sheathing or insulation panels, may also be attacked. Most termite problems in large office buildings involve subterranean colonies that persist for years on buried scrap wood and constantly explore upwards for new sources of food. These colonies are often a nuisance because of the periodic emergence of large numbers of winged "swarmers" that find their way into occupied space. Swarming termites should be controlled with a vacuum cleaner. A space spray may be unavoidable in rare circumstances. All comments describing ant swarming apply to swarming termites as well.
Spot Injection and Sealing. In masonry buildings with minor termite damage or localized swarming, satisfactory control can often be accomplished with pressurized injection of insecticide directly into the wood, or into the crevices from which the swarmers are emerging. If possible, the crevices should then be caulked or otherwise sealed.
Drilling, Trenching and Fumigation. Subterranean termite problems that cannot be solved with spot injection and sealing must be treated with far more ex