A method for determining the above-ground resistance of wood and wood products to subterranean termites in the field is described. Termites are aggregated in 20-litre steel drums, each containing a highly susceptible timber substrate. At the centre of each drum, specimens of the test material under evaluation are sandwiched, using circular sections of wire mesh, between two layers of the substrate. The drums are connected by plastic piping to infested trees or to other drums which have previously aggregated target species of termites. Preliminary results in the use of this method are presented in a study comparing the resistance of eight untreated timber species and one species treated with a copper-chromium-arsenic (CCA) formulation to Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt and Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) in the Northern Territory of Australia. Advantages of this field method are discussed

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