Laboratory and Field Soil Tunneling/Tubing by Subterranean Termites in Response to 2-Phenoxyethanol

The chemical 2-phenoxyethanol (2-PE) has been found to elicit trail following responses in subterranean termites and could have potential use as an enhancement to termite treatments. In this paper, similar glycol ethers to 2-phenoxyethanol were found to elicit significant trail following compared to the control, but they were not as effective as 2-phenoxyethanol. Significantly more shelter tubes were built over 2-phenoxyethanol treatment lines applied to vinyl tile compared to water controls. Eastern subterranean termites chose a food source with 2-PE applied to the surrounding soil over water controls in a choice test. The termites also tunneled along a soil treatment line significantly further, and with less deviation than the water controls, in sand. During field trials, there was termite activity only at 2-PE-treated detection stations beginning at 4 months after initial installation. 2-phenoxyethanol is relatively inexpensive, considered safe for the environment, and easy to mix in large batches. 2-PE is a simple and efficient way to guide termites to specific locations in the field for collection and other purposes. These factors should facilitate adoption in future pest management practices.