Durability of Malaysian timbers against the Asian subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi Wasmann

Abstract

To derive a rapid procedure for estimating the natural durability of timbers, an accelerated laboratory procedure for testing the resistance of nine timbers to termite infestation was initiated. Wood specimens of nine Malaysian timber species were used in termite bioassay based on no-choice test using the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi Wasman. It was found that mass losses of all timber species were in the range of 0.54% to 8.82% after four weeks exposure to the test termite. Termite mortality levels and trends over the first three weeks of testing suggested that the extractive compounds of wood might act as natural toxicants that gradually but steadily increased the mortality rate of C. gestroi.

Keywords

TERMITE RESISTANCE DENSITY EXTRACTIVES COPTOTERMES GESTROI NATURAL DURABILITY

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