Termite researcher Vince Parman (left), who sadly died in January 2007, conducted numerous studies to investigate the behavior of termites. His work is now being continued by team leader Nick Hamon and his colleagues.
The favorite food of termites is wood, and they even attack piles of paper and books. Termites of the genus Reticulitermes are particularly feared by the owners of wooden houses in the United States, Japan and parts of Southern Europe. As these voracious termites live underground, little research has been conducted into their behavior to date and there are no effective defenses.
Looking for forensic clues
Scientists at Bayer CropScience in the United States have now examined these insect pests more closely using tools from forensic science such as DNA fingerprinting. The results should allow the active ingredient imidacloprid from Bayer to be used more effectively. The following article explains more about the social behavior of these wood-eating insects and how Bayer scientists plan to reduce the worries of homeowners.