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Molecular Entomology 2013, Vol.4, No.2, 6-12
http://me.sophiapublisher.com
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Research Article Open Access
Evaluation of Copper Ethanolamine Boron Based Wood Preservative to Control
Wood Destroying Insects
Aparna Kalawate
Biology Division, Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute, P.B.No 2273, Tumkur road Bangalore-560022, India
Corresponding author email: aparna_ent@yahoo.co.in/dr.aparna@ipirti.gov.in;
Molecular Entomology 2013, Vol.4, No.2 doi: 10.5376/me.2013.04.0002
Received: 24 Jan., 2013
Accepted: 29 Jan., 2013
Published: 05 Mar., 2013
Copyright
©2013 Aparna Kalawate, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Aparna Kalawate, 2013, Evaluation of Copper Ethanolamine Boron Based Wood Preservative to Control Wood Destroying Insects, Molecular Entomology,
Vol
.
4,
No. 2
6-12 (doi: 10.5376/me.2013.04.0002)
Abstract
In the present study, efficacy of Copper-Ethanolamine-Boron (CEB) against powder post beetle and subterranean termite
has been evaluated. The methodology adopted for the treatment of solid wood was by way of dipping and for plywood by glue line
poisoning. CEB (10% w/v) was tested at various concentration levels viz., 2.5%, 3% and 5% against wood destroying insects. From
the results of the toxicity study, it has been found that the lethal dose of CEB to control the attack of powder post beetle and
subterranean termite was 2.5% in both the methods. In India, this is the first report of replacing chromium with Ethanolamine to fix
the Copper and Boron in wood to control the wood destroying insects.
Keywords
Copper; Ethanolamine; Boron; Powder post beetle; Subterranean termite; Wood protection
Introduction
Products manufactured from plantation timber species
are susceptible to the attack of wood destroying
insects. This can be easily avoided by giving proper
preservative chemical treatment. There are two main
types of insects which attacks on wood and wood
based panel products i.e. powder post beetle (PPB)
and subterranean termite.
Powder post beetles are major pests found in sawmills,
timber yards, factory premises, warehouses, where
hard wood products like planks, boards, veneers or
plywood are stored awaiting further processing. The
common borers found in such situations are
Lyctus
spp. or
Minthea
spp., which have a worldwide
distribution.
Lyctus
spp./
Minthea
spp. infestation is
easily recognized by the flight holes in timber and
panel material along with abundant frass (powder)
which is tightly packed into the tunnels and forms
little heaps beneath or around the flight holes. The
flight holes are round with no staining around their
margins and about 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm diameters
depending on the species. Initial attack by powder
post beetle is hard to detect and is generally
overlooked until attack is much advanced.
Termite infestation is a serious problem in many
tropical countries (Lee et al., 2003). Wood cellulose is
the principal food of the termites. They attack on both
the live and dead woody matter. The damage by them
is undoubtedly enormous and on an average the
common loss is 10% to 30% (Remadevi and
Muthukrishnan, 2004). Termite damage to historical
buildings is both costly, irreversible and diminishes
the integrity of a structure (Su et al., 1998).
Subterranean termites are considered as one of the
most economically important pests in the world
(Perrott, 2003). In addition they are the most
destructive and economically important insect pest of
wood and other cellulose products and are responsible
for 80% of all termite damage (Su and Scheffrahn,
1990). Subterranean termites need moisture from the
soil but they have the ability to carry moisture in the
buildings. They build characteristic shelter tubes made
up of mud, wood fragments and bodily secretions by
which they move from soil to wood above ground
without exposure to drying air or predator.
Protection of wood from termite damage has always
been a challenge as no method except the use of
highly durable wood species or pre-treatment of wood
with appropriate wood preservative offers a
satisfactory, cost effective and long term protection
from termites (Satish Kumar, 1995). The conventional
proprietary wood preservatives such as CCA (Copper
chrome Arsenic), CCB (Copper Chrome Boron) etc.
are under scrutiny due to environmental reasons
(Onuorah, 2000). When CCA-treated wood is removed