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Controlling the Formosan subterranean termite, a cosmopolitan pest and the most structurally damaging pest in the state of Hawaii, is an important priority for homeowners and commercial builders alike. Boron-treated lumber is often part of an effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, owing to its effect of reducing attack by subterranean termites and preventing wood decay due to fungi and bacteria. Termites from field colonies maintained in Honolulu were collected and exposed to one of four composite boards: zinc borate (ZB)/disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) (boric acid equivalent or BAE 0.75%), anhydrous boric acid (B2O3) (BAE 0.75%), or an untreated composite board control; after 5 days the wood pieces were replaced with untreated composite boards. The effect of 5 days of boron exposure was examined by comparing the wet weight of termites, wood consumption, survival, and termite boron content. The analyses at both 5 and 10 days revealed significantly more boron in the termites exposed to treated timber than those not exposed, and decreased weight in those termites exposed to borates. The general trend was for the ZB treatment to have less of an effect on the termites than the DOT treatment, while were both less harmful than boric acid in these experiments. The boron content of the exposed termites declined by 66-74% after 5 days of feeding on untreated wood, indicating that termites can excrete or metabolize ingested boron over time. This ability to recover from sublethal exposure to boron may explain the gradual avoidance of borate-treated wood noted by other authors, and has implications for the inclusion of borate-treated timber in an IPM programs for preventing infestation by subterranean termites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe goal of the present study was to determine whether Coptotermes formosanusShiraki workers exposed to boron-treated wood were capable of transferring quantifiable amounts of boron to non-exposed nestmates. This effect is called horizontal transfer. Borates are not repellent to termites, nor do they cause rapid mortality, making them excellent candidates for the study of horizontal transfer. In the present study, C. formosanusworkers were collected from field colonies maintained in Honolulu, Hawaii and dyed with Sudan Red 7B over a 7-day period. These termites then underwent a 3-day exposure period to one of two types of composite board, either an experimental formulation of zinc borate and anhydrous boric acid or an untreated composite board. Treated termites were placed with an equal number of untreated termites for either 5 or 10 days; sham-dyed donors and recipients were used to control for possible effects of the dye. Horizontal transmission of boron and toxic effects were assessed based on termite wet weight, percent survival, and boron content. Horizontal transfer of boron was noted at both 5 and 10 days over those levels reported in untreated, field-caught termites from the same colony (ca. 7 μg boron g-1termites). After 5 days, boron content was elevated in both dyed donor and recipient termites (ca. 92 and 38 μg boron g-1dyed termites, respectively), as well as in undyed donors and recipients (ca. 84 and 30 μg boron g-1undyed termites). The same pattern was observed after 10 days in both dyed donor and recipient termites (ca. 61 and 46 μg boron g-1, respectively) and undyed donor and recipient termites (59 and 24 μg boron g-1, respectively). Increased boron content of recipient termites after exposure to donor termites (fed on treated wood) demonstrated horizontal transfer of boron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information regarding the survivors of Pearl Harbor attack, Hawaii at December 7, 1941. It mentions that the JSR-1, BuNo 1063 Airplane is the only JSR-1 that survived till now. It also mentions that the five JSR-1 airplanes were launched from Pearl Harbor on the day of Japanese invasion.