Wood-Boring Insects From Zaria.

Abstract

A total of 697 wood-boring insects subsumed under two Orders: Isoptera and Hymenoptera; three families: Formicidae, Apidae and Termitidae; and nine species were collected using sweep net, bark-scraping and hand-picking methods (Youdeowei, 1977). The most abundant were the ants 491(77.45%), while the least were carpenter bees 10(1.43%). Four species of ants – Camponotus maculatus Fab., C. vestitus Smith., Pheidole liengmei Forst and Pheidole sp. acting as a group or in conjunction with other wood-borers attacked and destroyed Azadirachta indica Juss, Albizia lebbeck (Linn.) Benth.,Senna siemea Lam and Delonix regia (Boj. Ex. Hook) Raf. Comparison of wood-borers from different sample sites showed no significant difference between insect species collected.The Carpenter bees Xylocopa inconstans Friese drill numerous holes into “Obeche” timber Triplochiton scleroxylon Schum due to repeated infestation while termites belonging to Macrotermes bellicosus Smeathman and Odontotermes sp. destroyed the neem tree Azadirachta indica Juss and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh used as poles for electric power transmission. Recommended control methods for wood-boring ants is the application of Maxforce® granular stomach poison that allows insects to bring the bait back to the nest to destroy the whole colony including the queen. Timbor® and Cyonara® are recommended for killing termites and carpenter bees respectively in the short-term while insect-borer resistant trees like Khaya senegalensis and Isoberlina doka should be planted to replace damaged or destroyed trees as a long-term measure.