A field test method has been developed for evaluating the susceptibility of wood products to termites in protected situations above ground. In this method fungal attack on the wood products is minimal, though decay has been observed in conjunction with termite attack in some specimens. Preliminary results from exposure of replicate wood samples treated with preservatives in Florida to Reticulitermes flavipes and in Hawaii to Coptotermes formosanus using this test method show marked differences in preservative tolerance to treatments between the two termite species. The borate preservative used is much more susceptible to Coptotermes formosanus attack than to Reticulitermes flavipes in these tests, while one of the alkylammonium compounds tested, lauryltrimethylammonium chloride displayed the opposite effect. The only treatment reported here which displays similar efficacy to chromated copper arsenate is a low level of an insecticide formulated with didecyldimethylammonium chloride.

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