How to Control Termites in Ganoderma lucidum Cultivation? Detailed Methods

Termites, also called white ants, belong to the order Isoptera, family Termitidae. Termites occur mainly in hilly and mountainous areas, and are less common in plain areas. Termites are a large family, most abundant in tropical and subtropical regions. In the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum and other edible fungi, ants mainly bore into and feed on log segments.

Damage characteristics: termites bore into and feed on log segments, causing the bark and wood of the log segments to separate, inhibiting the growth of Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and the formation of fruiting bodies. This in turn reduces Ganoderma lucidum yield.

Morphological characteristics

Winged adults are 27-29.5 mm long, with a wingspan of 45-50 mm; the head, thorax and dorsal abdomen are dark brown, the ventral surface is brownish yellow, the wings are brown, and the body is covered with dense fine hairs. The head is round, with 19-segmented antennae; there is a pale cross-shaped marking in the center of the pronotum.

The queen and king are 70-80 mm long and 13-15 mm wide; the head and thorax resemble those of winged adults, but the color is darker and the body wall is harder.

Soldiers are 5.5-6.0 mm long; the head is yellow with sparse hairs, the thorax and abdomen have denser hairs and are pale yellow to grayish white. The dorsum is oval.

Workers are 4.6-5.0 mm long; the thorax and abdomen are grayish white, the head is yellow, and the posterior lateral margins of the head are arched.

Occurrence pattern: termites mostly live underground where wood is buried and prefer to be active in dark places. Winged ants swarm in May-June, generally active on stuffy, hot evenings. The eyes of soldiers and workers have degenerated; when they go out to forage, their bodies are hidden under a layer of mud covering, as if draped in a mud sheet, to prevent attacks by natural enemies and evaporation of body surface moisture. They prefer to be active in piles of dead branches and fallen leaves and in relatively moist, shaded places. Male and female individuals chase each other and together seek a site to build a nest, lay eggs and reproduce; the female becomes the queen and the male becomes the king. The first batch of offspring reared are workers, and soldiers appear once the colony is slightly larger. The king and queen engage in reproduction, workers handle tasks such as feeding and nest building, and soldiers handle defense against enemies. Termites fear cold and prefer warmth.

Control methods

(1) When cultivating, strictly choose the log placement site, keeping away from termite nests, dead branches, rotting wood and humus. Clear dead trees and stumps around the cultivation site, and dig out tree roots to prevent attracting termites and reduce termite sources.

(2) Dig a ditch 40 cm wide and 50 cm deep around the site, and fill the ditch with water to prevent termites from entering the cultivation site.

(3) Arrange the log segments in a well-shaped stack; prop up the lowest layer of mushroom logs with four stones, and scatter termite-killing pesticide around the stones to prevent termites from climbing onto the log segments and causing damage.

(4) For chemical control, mix 80% arsenous acid with 15% salicylic acid and 5% ferric chloride into a poison and spray it on termite nests and termite trails. When applying the pesticide, it must not be used directly on the log segments; the agent is highly toxic to humans and livestock.

Commonly used agents: arsenous acid, salicylic acid, ferric chloride.