Every now and then there are some really important moves in our industry, in 1994 it was the banning of organochlorines which included products such as Dieldrin and Aldrin (carcinogens). At the beginning of the 2000’s it was the introduction of successful baiting systems using insect growth hormones which are a non toxic and incredibly effective way of gaining colony control from a remote feeding.
Mode of Action of the new non scheduled poison – Altriset
Now our new change will be to introduce the termiticide “Altriset” which contains the active ‘chlorantraniliprole’ to our clients. This new ‘active’ is derived from the South American “Ryannia” plant and specifically targets termites – not other bugs or animals. It is non-toxic to humans and mammals, fish and reptiles, but is lethal to termites at even miniscule concentrations. It is the first liquid termiticide to be classified as non-toxic and ‘non-scheduled’ by Australian authorities, but yet it has proven to be highly effective and long lasting.
A particular benefit of this material is that it is totally ‘non-repellent’ to termites, which means that if it is applied around an infested building, termites will actually travel through the treated soil and unknowingly become contaminated with the ‘active’, which they transfer back to other termites. This process is called ‘trophallaxis’ and results in many more termites being destroyed than just those entering the treated zone. This makes this termiticide ideal to use against aggressive termite infestations where other repellant sprays may fail due to termites detecting a route through any untreated gaps in the application. The material is more expensive than traditional ‘repellent’ chemicals, but we recommend it to client where a highly effective treatment to a heavy termite infestation is required. Our specialists love to use it, since they can go home at the end of the day knowing that they have not exposed themselves to toxic industrial chemicals.
Field trails indicate that the longevity of “Altriset’ should be expected to at least equal those of traditional repellent insecticides. It is odourless for our clients comfort and is not absorbed by plants, so will not get into garden vegetables or kill honey bees- a big change for the heavy carcinogenic insecticides of 20 years ago. This is a big win for everyone.