Termite test facility in a tropical environment. Poseidon Sciences opens its facility for year-round routine screening of termicidal and repellent anti-termite products
March 14, 2025. Miag-ao, Iloilo (Philippines).
In January 2025, Poseidon Sciences Group opened its field-testing facility to accommodate companies interested in field evaluation of anti-termite products in a tropical setting. The testing facility is located on Batan Island in the province of Aklan in the island of Panay (Philippines). The mound building termite, Macrotermes gilvus, and the Philippine milk termite, Comptotermes vastator, are the predominant termite species being studied at our Poseidon Sciences -Batan Station.
Figure 1. Location of Poseidon’s termite exposure field test facility.
Environmental conditions. The climate in Batan, Aklan Province is hot, windy, and overcast which is ideal conditions for active termite infestation on a year-round basis. Studies can begin at any time of the year. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 76°F to 89°F and is rarely below 74°F or above 92°F. See the typical weather condition shown in the graphs below. The wet season lasts 6.7 months, from May to December. The dry season lasts 5.3 months, from December to May (see Fig.2)
Figure 2. Environmental conditions in Poseidon Sciences – Batan Station
The Field Station. The Poseidon Sciences-Batan Station is located inland about 5 km from Batan Bay, comprising 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) of field facilities for agroforestry, biological and botanical research.
Figure 3. Termite infestation of wooden structures.
The staff of 12 comprise biologists and support personnel are involved in basic and applied sciences in biofouling in the marine environment, studies on the shipworm (Teredo navalis), reforestation program, insect control and in termite research. The area is characterized by a dozen termite mounds dispersed throughout the test area. Termites infest all wooden structures and trees in the entire 2.5-hectare Station.
Testing methods
Standard Methods. Poseidon Sciences-Batan follows E7-21 American Wood Protection Association Standard for termite testing using wood stakes at 2” x4”18.” Validation tests on termite infestation used gmelina wood (Gmelina arborea) at less than 10 years old when cut. Gmelina is a commonly available wood used for construction in the Philippines. A study by Omeyomi (2023) showed that younger gmelina trees are more susceptible to attack by subterranean termites. Wood stakes are spaced at 1 m apart during the standard tests as shown here. The stakes are buried 4 inches deep into the soil.
Figure 4. Schematic and actual description of the repellent testing method.
Screening Method. When testing to evaluate the repellency of the treated wood, a circular testing method is used wherein the treated stake is placed in the center in the configuration as shown schematically here. This allows us to measure how far the repellent may act by observing the presence of termites in untreated stakes at various distances from the center treated stake.
Typical evaluations often take years to see the effect of a termicide or repellent products. In fact, once the termites have taken over the bottom part of the wood, it is just a matter of time before the rest of the wood is consumed. Here we introduce a faster method of evaluation so that companies can easily determine if a particular product would be suitable for extended studies or discarded.
Figure 5. Termite infestation starts at the bottom of the wood and detectable above ground.
The active material is placed on either side of the wood at 4 inches depth at the level of the bottom part of the stake. Then covered up with soil. Serious infestation will be visible with the termites becoming visible on the stake above ground. This is further confirmed by removing the stake and examining the underside.
An example of ongoing R&D is this termite study using Timbergard, a commercial treatment product, and Termes Repel, an experimental repellent. Compared to controls that show termite presence in the wood, Timbergard showed no termite presence after a year of exposure in the termite test area.
Figure 6. Comparison of Termes Repel and Timbergard in the termite field station.
See more details in our website: https://poseidonsciences.com/insect-control/insect-repellent/#termites
For more information about Poseidon’s termite research and development, please send email to poseidonnova@aol.com
References:
A Review of the Evolution of Termite Control: A Continuum of Alternatives to Termiticides in the United States with Emphasis on Efficacy Testing Requirements for Product Registration Faith Oi (2022). Insects 2022, 13, 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/ insects13010050
Climate and Average Weather Year-Round in Aklan https://weatherspark.com/y/138232/Average-Weather-in-Kalibo-(poblacion)-Philippines-Year-Round#google_vignette.