VITERDOM: Evaluation of the virulence of termites in the French overseas departments

Laboratory tests were carried out on two biocidal products, two membranes used as termite barriers for buildings, two materials and three natural wood species. The resistance of these test items was tested on 4 termite species from Mayotte and La Réunion (36 tests), 7 species from Guadeloupe and Guyana (47 tests) and one European species (9 tests). The experimentation showed that the results obtained on the European reference species Reticulitermes flavipes cannot be extrapolated to termites in tropical areas and that it is essential to carry out tests on local species. The study also identified the most aggressive local species against the tested materials in the Caribbean/Guyana area – Heterotermes tenuis and Nasutitermes corniger – and in the Indian Ocean area – Coptotermes gestroi. These three species could be used in the future as reference species, covering the whole termite risk in the outermost regions, for the effectiveness tests of treated or untreated materials.