Section VII

Termiticides and Safety

1. Worldwide Recommended Termiticides
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. pesticides include (but are not
limited to) herbicides (weed killers), insecticides, fungicides, nematicides,
rodenticides, piscicides (fish killers), molluscicides (kill mollusks), algicides,
slimicides, insect repellents, insect growth regulators, some other chemicals.

A termiticide is any pesticide or treated article intended to protect a structure against

subterranean termites.

Worldwide Recommended Termiticides

Lindane 20 EC
Chlorpyriphos 20 EC & 50 EC
Imidachloprid 30.5 SC
Bifenthrin 2.5 EC
Fipronil

Termiticides Registered and Recommended by CIB (India) and

Indian Standards:
Lindane 20 EC
Chlorpyriphos 20 EC & 50 EC
Imidachloprid 30.5 SC
Bifenthrin 2.5 EC

Termiticides registered BUT RECENTLY BANNED IN INDIA:

Lindane 20 EC (IN THE YEAR 2013)

Termiticides: Technical Information

A) Lindane 20 EC (gamma hexachlorocyclohexane)

Chemical Group : Organochlorine

Stability : Extremely stable even up to temperatures of1800C & to

acids. In alkaline pH it undergoes dehydrochlorination thus is
ineffective.

Solubility : In water 7.3 mg/lit

275275275 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
Mode of action : Contact, stomach and respiratory poison

Toxicity : Acute oral LD50 for rats – 88 mg/kg, dermal LD50of 1000 mg/
kg

Fish : LC 50 For Guppy fish – 0.16-0.3mg/lit

Dose : Lindane 20 EC – 1 lit in 19 lit.

Antidote : No specific antidote known. Symptomatic treatment

Table 1: Toxicity and first aid

Route of Symptoms First Aid
Exposure
Inhalation Convulsions. Cough. Dizziness. Fresh air rest. Artificial respiration if
Headache. Nausea. Weakness. indicated. Refer for medical attention.
Tremors. Paresthesias. Symptoms
may be delayed (see Notes).
Skin MAY BE ABSORBED! Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and
then wash skin with water and soap. Refer
for medical attention. Wear protective
gloves when administering first aid.
Eyes Redness. First rinse with plenty of water for several
minutes.
Ingestion Abdominal pain. Diarrhoea. (Further Rinse mouth. Give a slurry of activated
see Inhalation). charcoal in water to drink. Do NOT induce
vomiting. Give plenty of water to drink.
Rest. Refer for medical attention.

B) Chlorpyrifos 20 EC & 50 EC
(O,O-diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate )

Chemical Group : Organophosphorous

Stability : Stable in neutral & weak acids, hydrolyzed by strong alkalies

Corrosiveness : Corrosive to copper and brass

Mode of action : Contact, stomach & respiratory action,Cholinesterase inhibitor

Toxicity : Acute Oral 163mg/kg,Acute Dermal 1505mg/kg

Degradation : In soil Chlorpyrifos is slowly degraded with a Half Life within

80-100 days

Dose : Chlorpyrifos 20 EC – 1 lit in 19 lit.

276276276 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
 Or Chlorpyrifos 50 EC – 1 lit in49 lit.

Solubility : 2mg / lit at 25°C

Fate in soil: Chlorpyrifos is tightly adsorbed by soil and not expected to leach
significantly. Volatilisation from soil surface will contribute to loss. Depending on soil
type, microbial metabolism of Chlorpyrifos may have a half-life of up to 279 days.
Higher soil temperatures, lower organic content and lower acidity increases
degradation of chlorpyrifos.

Where it is used in subterranean termite control it may remain effective for up to 5-17
years* (depending on many factors) When applied to sandy soil, a 50% loss was
noted after 2 weeks and when applied to high organic matter soil, a 50% loss was
noted after 8 weeks.

Health Effects: Short Term: Chlorpyrifos is very toxic to humans, between 1

teaspoon and 1 ounce may be fatal.

Chlorpyrifos toxicity is considerably greater if administered orally compared to

dermal. Primary routes of exposure are inhalation, skin or eye contact. Inhalation
exposure to high concentration may cause upper respiratory irritation, central
nervous system depression headache, dizziness, increased sensitivity to
epinephrine, irregular heartbeats, in coordination, muscle twitching, tremor, pinpoint
pupils, blurred vision, tightness in chest, and convulsions. Eye contact may cause
pain, moderate irritation. Poisoning also impairs Central Nervous System.

Long Term: Continual absorption at intermediate dosage may cause influenza-like

illness which includes symptoms like weakness, anorexia and malaise.

Prolonged or repeated over exposure to the product may result in delayed liver and
or kidney damage. (1) Other chronic exposure effects are behavioural neurotoxicity
and organo-phosphate induced delayed neuropathy.

C) Imidachloprid 30.5 SC
Chemical Group : Neo-nicotinoid Insecticide

Dose : 2.1 ml/lit. of water or 1 lit per 475 lit

Antidote : Symptomatic treatment

Toxicity : Rat Oral 450 mg/kg Rat dermal ≥ 5050 mg/kg

277277277 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
Aerobic half life : 997 days

Mode of Action: Non-repellent, hence no avoidance to chemical. Insects are killed by

absorbing chemical through cuticle and by contact- passing on chemical between
members in colony by grooming. Termites also cannibalise dead members and thus
the chemical is spread within the colony. At sub lethal doses, the termites get
disoriented and stop grooming and are killed by development of pathogenic fungus
on their bodies.

Imidacloprid has low vapor pressure. The chemical breaks down to inorganic
molecules by both photolysis and microbial action. Although it is not "persistent" in
the technical sense since it does degrade, it can have a half-life in soil under aerobic
conditions of as long as 997 days, In the body, 96% of the chemical is eliminated
within 48 hours;

Toxicology: Animal toxicity is similar to that of the parent compound, nicotine;

fatigue, twitching, cramps, and weakness leading to asphyxia.

D) Bifenthrin 2.5 EC
Chemical Group : Trifluromethyl

Solubility : 0.1 mg/lit

Mode of action : Contact and stomach action

Toxicity (Mammals) : Acute oral LD50 is 54 mg/kg in female rats and 70 mg/kg in
male rats. Non-irritant to skin and eyes

Dose : Bifenthrin – 1 lit in 49 lit.

Mode of action: By acting on the sodium channels to depolarize the pre-synaptic

terminals, pyrethroid insecticides effectively paralyze organisms by severely limiting
neuro-transmission

Field dissipation: Half-life tests have been conducted for bifenthrin in a wide range of
soils and conditions. Half-lives ranged from 122 to 345 days. Bifenthrin has very low
water solubility and high affinity for soils, hence Bifenthrin has a very low tendency to
volatilize from wet soil.

278278278 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
Toxicological Effects
Acute Toxicity: Bifenthrin is moderately toxic to mammals when ingested. Large
doses may cause in coordination, tremor, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and
irritability to sound and touch. Although it does not cause inflammation or irritation
on human skin, it can cause a tingling sensation which lasts about 12 hours.
Breakdown of Chemical in Soil & Groundwater: Bifenthrin does not move in
soils with large amounts of organic matter, clay and silt. It also has a low mobility
in sandy soils that are low in organic matter. Bifenthrin is relatively insoluble in
water, so there are no concerns about groundwater contamination through
leaching. Its half-life in soil, the amount of time it takes to degrade to half of its
original concentration, is 7 days to 8 months depending on the soil type and the
amount of air in the soil
Breakdown of Chemical in Vegetation: Bifenthrin is not absorbed by plant
foliage, nor does it translocate in the plant.
Physical Properties and Guidelines: It is photostable, stable to hydrolysis, has
minimal volatility, and is stable in storage. It has a negative temperature
coefficient, so it works better at lower temperatures
Antidote: No specific antidote known. Symptomatic treatment. Do not administer
milk, cream or substances containing vegetables or animal fats which enhances
absorption of lipophilic substances.

E) FIPRONIL 5% SC: Fiproles (or Phenylpyrazoles)

Fipronil is the only insecticide in this new class, introduced in 1990 and registered in
the U.S. in 1996.

(+)-5-amino-1-(2,6-dichloro-a,a,a-trifluoro-p-talyl)-4-
trifluotomethylsulfinylpyrazole-3-carbonitrile

Chemical Group : Phenylpyrazole

Intended Use : Insecticide

Stability : Stable for 2 years under normal conditions of storage and use

Corrosiveness : Not Corrosive

279279279 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
Mode of action: Non-repellent material with contact and stomach activity. Fipronil
works by blocking the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) regulated chloride channel
in neurons, thus disrupting the activity of the insect’s central nervous system.

Toxicity (Acute) : Oral:LD-50 336mg/kg (Rats) , Dermal: LD-50 382mg/kg (Rats)

Degradation : Fipronil is the most polar and water soluble of the breakdown
products. Dissipation of the Fipronil in the environment is a result of exposure to
sunlight to produce Fipronil-desulfinyl, reductive processes in soil lead to Fipronil-
sulfide.

Dose : Fipronil 5% SC – 5 ml in 1 lit. of water

Health Effects: The product may be harmful swallowed. It may pose risk of serious
damage to eyes. Clinical sign & symptoms of Fipronil toxicity includes sweating,
nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, dizziness, agitation and weakness.
Clinical sign of exposure to Fipronil are generally reversible and resolve
spontaneously.

***
Total no. of diagrams, figures and tables in this chapter:
Charts: 0 nos., Diagram: 0 nos., Figures: 0 nos. Tables: 1nos.

280280280 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
2. Safety in Termite Management
Site inspection: Before the application, professional pest control operator shall
visit the site first to understand the termite infestation as well as soil condition i.e.
moisture etc.
During site inspection he shall confirm the storage place for Termiticides, note all
the entry points of pests and should plan the physical control measures before
planning for chemical control
Training to the operators: Training to the operators i.e. actual pest control
workers is very much necessary. Untrained operators may misuse the pesticides
i.e. use of wrong pesticide, over dose, mixing of two different group of pesticides.
Trained operator ONLY shall take the responsibility of structural pest control.
Selection of suitable termiticide for effective Termite Management: As per
the site requirement he shall decide the select the repellent or non-repellent
termiticide first.
Maintenance of documents: To keep control to avoid misuse of termiticides he
shall maintain the documents of day to day chemical consumption as well as the
stock at stores.
Training to the customers: He shall guide and educate the customer about the
toxicity of termiticide, its residual effects, dose and anti-dote.

Safety aspect is divided into following categories

Clients point of view: Safety of Site staff, Workers, Children's, Pet Animals etc.
Environment point of view: Safety of environment i.e. treatment area, nearby
trees, underground water, bore well i.e. ground water and the soil.
Operators point of view: The operator who is actually engaged in termite
management he shall be more careful about the safety. He is the person who is
in contact with concentrated termiticides while during the dilution or mixing. He
shall ware all the personal protection equipments (PPE) during mixing and during
operations.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

A. Coveralls and chemical resistant suit

281281281 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
The worker safety regulations contain two quite different standards for employer-
provided body protection. The requirement for coveralls requires body covering of
tightly woven cloth, or equivalent, extending from the neck to wrists to ankles. The
desire for disposable or limited use clothing that meets this more stringent chemical-
resistant requirement caused to evaluate specialty fabrics that might meet this
requirement.

Figure 1: Safety equipment

B. Eyewear and closed systems

Eye protection must be worn when preparing to use of termiticides. Protective
eyewear is required when using closed systems that operate under positive
pressure. When using a closed system, protective eyewear must be available on
site.

C. Gloves
The use of glove liners is allowed only when the following conditions are met:

Pesticide product labeling does not prohibit the use of glove liners.
Glove liners must be separable from the chemical-resistant glove.
Liners may not extend outside of the chemical-resistant gloves.
Liners must be replaced immediately if directly contacted by a pesticide.
Liners must be discarded at the end of each workday.
Contaminated liners must be disposed of in accordance with federal, state or
local regulations.
D. Respirators
The employer shall assure that employees use approved respiratory protection
equipment when pesticide product labeling or regulations require respiratory
protection or when respiratory protection is needed to maintain employee exposure
below an applicable exposure standard.

Safety Training
For the workers or operators safety, the labor contractor or the pest manager shall
time to time conduct various training programmes related to the day-to-day practice
of termite management and training related to the pesticide safety. The person who
hires the services of a pest control labor or contractor’s employees to perform work
on the home owner’s property must assure that those employees have received the
required training.

Material Safety Data Sheet status as labeling

A reference to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is often found on the pesticide
label. However, it is issued not with the intent to highlight the labeling requirements.

***
Total no. of diagrams, figures and tables in this chapter:
Charts: 0 nos., Diagram: 0 nos., Figures: 1 nos. Tables: 0 nos.

283283283 | Section 7 | Termiticides

and Safety
284284284 | Section 7 | Termiticides
and Safety