Section Meetings Were Held at Formosan Termite Conference.

The mid-South and Southeastern Sections held their annual meetings in conjunction with a 2-day conference titled Technical Forum on Residential Construction Practices to Resist Formosan Subterranean Termite Attack. The conference was held May 31 through June 1, in Baton Rouge, La. About 200 people attended, representing home builders; pest control operators; the steel framing, structural concrete, and masonry industries; and forest products manufacturers and researchers. Dr. Ramsay Smith, Professor at the Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, was the conference chair. Dr. Bill Richardson, Chancellor of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and Bob Odom, Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, welcomed the attendees.

The forum's first day focused on understanding the Formosan Subterranean Termite (FST) problem and the different approaches to termite-resistant construction. Buck Vandersteen, Executive Director of the Louisiana Forestry Association and Chair of the Formosan Subterranean Termite Study Advisory Committee, gave an overview of the Formosan Termite Initiative in Louisiana. Established in 1998 by an act of the state legislature, the initiative was charged with containing the FST and bringing it to a controllable level. At first, work under the initiative concentrated on wood-frame construction, investigating and developing policy guidelines on the use of engineered wood products and treated lumber in termite-resistant construction, warranties for treated wood products, and health and economic questions related to using treated wood products in home construction. But beginning in the spring of 2000, the initiative broadened its scope to include other methods of construction.

Dr. Gregg Henderson, Associate Professor at the Louisiana State University Department of Entomology followed with a presentation on FST biology and sociology. In all termites, eggs laid by a queen hatch into active larvae which, as they mature, specialize into workers, soldiers, or reproductives. Winged reproductives (alates) swarm in the spring, seeking a mate and a place to start a new colony. The FST qualifies as a supertermite: a queen may live as long as 30 years, with her egg-laying augmented by supplementary reproductives in satellite colonies; a colony and its satellites may numbers over 10 million individuals; and colonies in the same area may merge rather than attack one another. The FST is so aggressive in seeking new food sources it will chew through plastic or thin metal barriers. It also builds climate-controlled mud nests inside walls and trees where it can live separated from the ground.

Dr. Kenneth Grace, Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Entomology, Dr. Peter Laks, Professor at the Michigan Technological University Institute of Wood Research, and Dave Mason, Director of Treated Markets at the Southern Forest Products Association followed with a session on wood products performance. Dr. Grace said that in Hawaii, which has a longer history with the FST, building codes require that the lumber in wood-framed homes be treated. Foundations and perimeter walls incorporate termite-resistant treatments or barriers, and inspections are required for proper treatment before the walls are closed up. Dr. Grace also discussed use of treated wood products and treatment effectiveness in Hawaii.

Dr. Laks said the most promising approach to treating wood composite products is to incorporate a dry preservative, such as powdered inorganic borate, in the furnish in the manufacturing stage. He has tested two forms of inorganic borate (zinc borate and disodium octaborate retrahydrate) for resistance to fungus and termite attack. At loadings above 0.45 percent BAE (boric acid equivalent), both treatments effectively protected samples of aspen waferboard from fungus. High loadings of disodium octobarate gave some protection from termites over a 48-months test period; much lower loading of zinc borate provided nearly total protection, due in part to its resistance to leaching.

Mr. Mason reported that chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is the most common wood preservative treatment for southern yellow pine, followed by sodium borate, which acts as both an insecticide and a fungicide. For CCA, the recommended treatment level for FST-resistant construction is 0.40 pcf, kiln-dried after treatment. In the past, most lumber treated at that level in Louisiana was designated for use in wet applications and was not redried after treatment. Now, however, enough capacity exists to meet the demand for home construction. Builders should use hot-dipped galvanized hardware with treated lumber. Using treated framing is estimated to add between 1.5 and 3 percent to the total cost of a new home.

Two representatives from the North American Steel framing Alliance (NASFA), Geoffrey stone, Director of Corporate Programs, and Timothy Waite, General Manager of Alliance Development, spoke on the application of light-gauge steel framing to resist the FST. NASFA's goal is to achieve sustained annual shipments of light-gauge steel framing products equal to 25 percent of the total residential market (equal to about three times the amount of steel used by the U.S. auto industry) by 2004. NASFA is following a coordinated strategy to gain acceptance of steel framing among consumers, federal agencies, state and local governments, home builders, and related groups. Rather than trying to replace all wood in new homes, NASFA seeks use of steel framing where it has a comparative advantage, such as in non-load-bearing walls and floor systems. A large part of NASFA's effort to gain acceptance by home builders involves developing new tools for assembling steel frames and installing utilities, integrated wall and flooring systems, and new products (e.g., the L-header) that take advantage of the unique characteristics of steel.

A panel of five speakers discussed structural concrete and masonry products. Michael Weber, Director of Residential Construction of the Portland Cement Association said that as well as being termite-resistant, concrete homes are economical, environmentally friendly, and a safe haven in severe weather. Compared to other methods of construction, concrete homes are energy efficient, quiet, and provide their owners a sense of security.

Dennis Graber, Director of Technical Publications for the National Concrete Masonry Association, used slides to illustrate the design flexibility afforded by concrete masonry and to show the construction of a new home that made extensive use of concrete masonry products. He closed with five recommendations for building termite-resistant masonry walls: minimize food sources by removing grade stakes and form boards, avoid disruption of barriers and seal around penetrations, eliminate hidden entry points by keeping the top of the slab 6 inches above grass or mulch, use crack control measures, and use quality masonry practices.

Don Perkins, SE Sales Manager for Babb International introduced forum attendees to autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), a building material made from fly ash, cement, lime, aluminum powder, and water. He used visual aids to demonstrate that AAC is strong, lightweight, easily worked with simple hand tools, sound absorbent, and thermally efficient. Developed in 1924, AAC's immunity to insects and rot, cost-effectiveness, and environmental qualities have made it a preferred building material in Europe and Asia.

Dick Whitaker from the Insulating Concrete Form Association and Bill Burt, Executive Director of the Concrete and Aggregates Association of Louisiana used slides to show the construction and finished appearance of new homes built using insulating concrete forms. They also discussed the activities of their associations, and how builders and other interested persons can receive information or answers to questions they have about concrete homes.

The forum's second day focused on building practices and the economics and health effects of termite-resistant construction. Dr. Julian Yates, Associate Specialist with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Entomology, Dr. Brian Forshcler, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia Department of Entomology, and Dr. Jim Reinhardr, President of Architectural Diagnostics, Inc., formed the first of two panels on building practices. Dr. Yates addressed chemical ground treatments and physical barriers used in constructing termite-resistant house slabs. There are 10 termiticides registered for use as ground treatments in Hawaii; physical barriers include crushed and screened basaltic rock and a stainless steel mesh product (Termi-Mesh) developed in Australia. Using slides, Dr. Yates illustrated application of a chemical ground treatment, a basaltic barrier, and Termi-Mesh.

Dr. Forschler discussed in-ground termite baits and bait systems. In-ground systems can be used to detect then bait termites, or to bait them only. The baits in use are slow-acting toxins, either metabolic inhibitors or growth regulators. Dr. Forschler used a study he is conducting to illustrate the difficulty of detecting the presence of the FST and determining whether you are dealing with one or more colonies.

Dr. Reinhardt, a forensic architect, used slides to show FST damage to homes where untreated wood was used in interior applications or concrete masonry units (CMUs) were placed in contact with soil. He recommended a five-level approach to the design and construction of FST-resistant homes: remove FST food sources (grade stakes, wood waste, and stumps) from the area; keep them away from the building with a chemical or physical barrier; keep them out of the building by sealing penetrations, avoiding cracks in the slab, and not placing CMUs in contact with soil; provide nothing to eat in the building by using treated lumber or steel framing; and inspect regularly for infestations. Most wood framing used in Hawaii is Douglas-fir; the Hawaii-use-only treatment standard is 0.25 pcf in the outer 0.2 inches for CCA or 0.42 pcf for borate. Dr. Reinhardt closed by recommending code elements for termite-resistant construction that embodied his five-level approach combined with aggressive educational outreach.

Dr. Terry Amburgey, Professor at the Mississippi Forest Products Laboratory, Mississippi State University, Dr. Dennis Ring, Associate Specialist with the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, and Ed Bordes, Director of the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, formed the second panel on building practices. Dr. Amburgey used slides to show designs and techniques of home construction and landscaping that provide access for the FST. Examples include built-in flower boxes, wood step risers in contact with soil, built-up foundations or decks that permit water to collect, form boards left in place, mulch piled against siding or siding extending to the ground, plantings that disturb chemical termite barriers, and misdirected sprinklers. Dr. Amburgey made five recommendations for termite-resistant home construction: site and position the house so that water drains away from it, use seasoned wood, keep the wood dry in use, avoid wood-to-soil contact, and use treated wood where wood-to-soil contact is unavoidable.

Dr. Ring reiterated that the FST already is the most destructive insect pest in Louisiana, causing an estimated $500 million damage per year even though it is concentrated in a handful of parishes. It would cause incalculable damage to buildings and forest trees if permitted to continue spreading. Likening FST to a contagious disease, Dr. Ring urged implementation of a statewide Integrated Pest Management program. He stressed the importance of a long-term focus and of requiring termite-resistant measures in new construction as well as treating existing structures. He also stressed the importance of quarantine to avoid further human-assisted spread of the FST.

Mr. Bordes showed slides and film clips of FST infestations in historic buildings and a variety of homes: old and new, low-income and mansion. He recommended strong and immediate measures to address the FST problem, including mandating that a termite contract be in force before a home could be sold; building codes should require termite-resistant construction for new buildings and renovations; building permits should require use of treated wood, metal, or concrete; and use of quarantine. He also suggested that the federal government share in the cost of repairing FST damage to existing structures, as it currently does with flood or storm damage.

Dr. Michael Dunn, Program Leader, Extension Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, discussed the costs of chemical ground treatments to resist the FST. He had surveyed local pest control operators on the cost of pre- and post-construction treatment and annual termite-control contracts for three sizes of homes. Pre-treatment costs varied from .10/ [ft..sup.2] to .45/ [ft..sup.2], with prices at the high end including many "free" post-treatment services. Post-treatment costs ranged from a low of $300 for a 1,200-[ft..sup.2] home to a high of $1,000 for a 3,000- [ft..sup.2] home. Contract renewal cost ranged from $85 to $135 per year, with little variation by home size. Installation of bait systems cost approximately $8 per running foot.

Dr. Mary Grodner, Specialist with the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, discussed the health effects of ground treatment chemicals used in termite-resistant construction. She had compiled the information available on the toxicity and carcinogenicity of the chemicals used. All of the chemicals were of lower toxicity and carcinogenicity to humans than household items that most people consider safe, e.g., table salt or aspirin. Many of the chemicals were labeled L (no evidence) for toxicity and E (not carcinogenic) for carcinogenicity, or not listed.

Dr. Ramsay Smith yielded his place in the program so that home builders attending the forum could present a list of concerns and questions they had developed over the 2 days. Most centered on the health hazards associated with construction crew exposure to treated wood and preservative chemicals, and the cost and efficacy of the FST control measures that had been presented.