The effects of Cupressus sempervirens oil and pine resin oil (turpentine) on subterranean termites

Abstract

The usage of wood has increased with time however, its attacked by termites; termites are the one of the most destructive agents in the tropics to wood. There is a need to develop human and environmentally friendly preservatives which are effective in protecting wood from termites and other agents of wood deterioration. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate effect of the combination of Cupressus sempervirens and turpentine on Eucalyptus grandis as a wood preservative against termites. Treated and untreated wood samples were used in this study and the severity of termite attack on E. grandis sapwood treated with a mixture of pine resin oil and cypress essentil oils, CCA and used engine oil preservatives was investigated. The yield indicated 13g and 7g as the highest and lowest yield for turpentine oil of resin from Pinus caribaea tree species with a strong correlation coefficient (0.802) and 0.65 as the highest and lowest was 0.08 with a weak correlation coefficient (0.347) between C. sempervirens leaves and cones with oil yields when Eucalyptus grandis wood were treated with the mixture of C. sempervirens oil and turpentine, its rate of being attacked by termites reduced as compared to untreated pieces using the 5-point ASTM Durability rating scale. A mixture of C. sempervirens and turpentine treated wood experienced a slower weight loss compared to untreated sample. The treated wood samples in the garden and mounds did not have their weight changed. Untreated wood and treated wood with acetone alone had a weight loss of approximately 0.8g and 1.22g respectively making it to be 80% of untreated wood loss and 64% of treated wood loss in the garden and 40% and 18% in the mounds. The untreated wood samples were wide open to termite infestation and deterioration. The use of these preservatives of C. sempervirens and turpentine provides a room for its adaptation as alternative wood preservatives that is CCA and Used Engine Oil which is safe to human health and environment. Therefore, the mixture of Turpentine and Cupressus sempervirens oils can be taken as potential of being an effective wood preservative as its behavior and effectiveness was verified. It’s recommended that similar study should be carried out to determine the effectiveness of the oils to fungi and decay also; bigger wood stakes could be used for similar studies, which are soaked for more than two days to increase the penetration of the oils with in the wood.