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  • From: Marsha Hanzi <hanzibra@svn.com.br>
  • To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Termites
  • Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 11:04:25 -0800

As to termites:
That is always a problem in the tropics! After all the role of
termites is to transform wood into compost-- how are they to know the
difference ?
Anyway, kerosene is used a lot-- you can even inject it with needles
into the holes ( please excuse me if this is something that everybody
already knows).
There are several termite-resistant woods used in Brazil, the most
popular being Maçaranduba-- have the literature on it in the PC library
( not here), so will look up the Latin name. It is a rather expensive
wood, but should be available in Paraguay, too...
Another factor to consider ( and for many this will also be obvious!)
will be cutting the wood on the right moon so that it won`t be too
sappy. I recommend Maria Thun's biodynamic calendar for this...
But termites are just a fact of life, and we have to constantly be
after them. I just wipe them off with a rag or a broom when they begin
forming nests in my walls instead of out in the agroforest, where they
are most welcome! They are NOT our enemies.

Good luck!
Marsha Hanzi
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia
Brazil

Elfpermacl@aol.com wrote:
>
> We have a design project in Paraguay where the main house is infested in
> termites. I'm looking for two kinds of termites:
>
> 1) Any non-toxic means to control termites short of burning the house down.
> (The house as somewhat of a Hacienda, way too expensive and way too
> necessary
> to give up on.
>
> 2) Any toxic method that is not as horrific as the common commercial
> solutions (which may not even be available in Paraguay).
>
> 3) Ideas for future construction on site which will avert this situation.
> Yes we are looking at masonry, ferrocement, adobe, etc. But wood is not
> avoidable and avoiding wood use is not desirable. I'm interested in any
> experience with bamboo and termites.
>
> 4) Lists of tropical wood species that are termite resistant.
>
> If your information is incomplete, please share it anyway. If there is 1
> percent that adds to our information on hand, it will be progress. We are
> willing to buy standard designs of proven efficiacy.
>
> For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
> 1982),
> Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
> consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence
> courses via email. Copyright, 1998, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52,
> Sparr FL 32192 USA Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com
>
> We don't have time to rush.
>
> A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at
> http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
> Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers
> assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html




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