By: Faruwa F. A.; Durodola I. .; Olorunfemi O. .;
Abstract:
Subterranean termites cause severe economic losses to wood structures in
tropical regions. This study evaluated the field effectiveness of three
commercial preservatives; Termifos and Rocket (chlorpyrifos-based), and Sniper
(dichlorvos-based) on two indigenous Nigerian wood species, Albizia
zygia (Ayunre) and Vitex doniana (Oori). Wood
specimens were treated using the cold soaking method, and preservative
absorption and retention were determined. Treated samples were exposed to
natural termite activity for 12 weeks at a field site in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Results indicated that the low-density Vitex doniana absorbed
significantly more preservative (86.26 ± 17.48%) than the denser Albizia
zygia (50.37 ± 6.22%) (p < 0.05). Sniper showed the highest
mean absorption (78.00 ± 28.67%) and retention (20.97 ± 7.06 kg/m³) overall.
Field exposure revealed that Albizia zygia exhibited
significantly lower weight loss (31.99–34.94%) than Vitex doniana (43.58–50.64%)
across all treatments. Contrary to expectations based on retention
data, Sniper performed worst for Vitex doniana (50.64%
weight loss), while Termifos provided the best protection (43.64% weight loss).
The study demonstrates that preservative efficacy is a function of both wood
species anatomy and preservative chemistry, with Termifos identified as
the most effective treatment for the more vulnerable Vitex doniana.
These findings provide evidence-based guidance for species-specific wood
preservation strategies in termite-prone tropical environments
Keywords: Albizia zygia, ; Vitex doniana; termite resistance; wood preservation; chlorpyrifos
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