Control Methods for Termites in Pineapple Cultivation
Termites are also called insect officers, commonly known as white ants, large water ants, rising-water ants and shed insects, etc. They are insects of the class Insecta, order Isoptera. It is one of the five major pests worldwide.
Symptoms: Termites damage roots, stems and leaves, often living in groups on them, and can induce pineapple wilt and sooty mold, making orchard plants grow unevenly, weakening tree vigor and delaying the fruiting period.
Morphological characteristics: The head can rotate freely and has chewing mouthparts. The thorax has 3 segments, each thoracic segment bearing a pair of legs. Winged adults each have a pair of wings on the mesothorax and metathorax; the forewings and hindwings are almost similar in shape, size and venation, hence the name Isoptera. The abdomen has 10 segments, and the last segment bears a pair of segmented cerci; in most species, a pair of unsegmented abdominal spines grows from the middle of the posterior margin of the 9th sternite.
Occurrence patterns: Termites are social insects composed of various castes. The nest is generally in a secluded place, with small holes above and below; there is a queen specialized for laying eggs, and males specialized for mating. The egg-laying speed is fast. Long-winged adults can swarm and fly in groups when environmental conditions are suitable at some time of the year. The swarming period varies with termite species and environmental conditions. In dry areas, the swarming period is mostly during the rainy season or around sudden rainstorms, and is closely related to atmospheric humidity. Termites cannot do without water and generally live in dark, damp places; places with leaking rain are often their gathering sites, and outside the mating period they mainly move by crawling. The main natural enemies are large black ants and small black ants.
Control methods
(1) Strengthen orchard management: apply more decomposed organic fertilizer, irrigate reasonably, maintain appropriate temperature and humidity in the orchard, and pay attention to drainage measures. Improve tree resistance. Combined with pruning, clean up the orchard in time to reduce insect sources.
(2) Protect and utilize natural enemies. The main natural enemies are large black ants and small black ants.
(3) Chemical control: after discovering this insect, spray plants with 40% trichlorfon at 600 times dilution, or spray termite medicine on the ant trails to kill the ant colony.
Commonly used pesticide: trichlorfon.