TERMITE CONTROL SOLUTIONS FROM SHERWOOD’S FORMULATION CHEMISTS

The Sherwood Chemicals range of termite control products includes a bait, foam and dust, ensuring all applications and situations are covered. 

Sherwood Chemicals has developed and trialled one of the largest portfolios of termite control formulations in the world. Very few manufacturers in Australia and Southeast Asia have completed independent termite field trials on all significant termiticide active ingredients used to control termites in the way that Sherwood Chemicals has.

Over the last 25 years Sherwood Chemicals has invested significantly in formulation chemistry, as after all, the product you use is a formulation comprising typically less than 20% active ingredient; it is the other 80% or so of inerts that determine the physicochemical properties of the product and impact on the results.

Sherwood Chemicals has no allegiance to a particular active or formulation, which allows the team to freely develop and supply a range of solutions supported by unbiased trial data. Sherwood Chemicals delivers three active ingredients in three different formulations to treat active termites, the first vital step in achieving termite elimination.

 

FipForce Dust Termiticide and Insecticide

Discovered around 35 years ago, fipronil works by disrupting the insect central nervous system by blocking GABA-gated chloride channels and glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channels after ingestion or contact. Fipronil also has one of the longest residuals, which makes it effective when placed in dark areas protected from the elements.

 

 

Sherwood Chemicals’ trial data shows that FipForce Dust, containing 5 g/kg fipronil, is still effective at 90 days and therefore will continue to eliminate termite populations long after initial application. Using a dust product delivers a faster result than baiting and causes lower disturbance compared with foaming.

 

 

Shieldrite Crawling Insect Foam

Another active developed in the mid 1980s, imidacloprid was first discovered in Japan and was commercialised by Bayer. It remains the most commonly used chemical for treating insects in the world. By blocking nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, imidacloprid prevents acetylcholine from transmitting impulses between nerves, resulting in the insects’ paralysis and eventual death. It is effective on contact and via ingestion.

Imidacloprid is used in a number of high performance formulations to control crawling insects, namely ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, European wasps and termites. Sherwood Chemicals has formulated imidacloprid at concentrations ranging from 0.025% to 0.05% in aerosol form, and 10% to 60% in suspension concentrate form.

 

 

In 2014, after more than six years of formulation R&D and trials, Sherwood Chemicals launched the first fipronil foam in a can alongside Chaindrite (Shieldrite) imidacloprid foam in a can. Sherwood Chemicals’ imidacloprid foam formulation has been designed to break down quickly, causing minimal disturbance whilst leaving a non-repellent residual.

 

 

Termatrix Baiting System

There are several chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs) available to a formulation company, which generally deliver good results and typically have a loading of between 1-5 g/kg. However, Sherwood Chemicals selected chlorfluazuron (at 1g/kg) as the active of choice for its Termatrix bait, as it has been proven to deliver reliable results in difficult conditions around the world.

However, the critical ingredient of a termite bait is the cellulose used to deliver the toxicant to the foraging termites. This needs to be highly palatable and consistent to ensure termites prefer this food to the wood (cellulose) on offer at a property. Since its launch in 2012, Sherwood Chemicals has invested heavily in Termatrix Termite Bait to perfect the bait matrix, which contains a proprietary cellulose source. The in-house termite testing lab benchmarks the bait matrix against the industry leader and strict quality control protocols ensure the bait formulation is effective and reliable, and consistently attractive to termites.

 

 

All common species of termites will feed on the bait however baiting is not effective on Mastotermes darwiniensis due to their voracious feeding habits and Nasutitermes walkeri due to the lack of moulting in mature workers. In these instances, Fipforce Dust is more suitable.

 

 

Sherwood Chemicals proudly manufactures its core insecticide products at a single facility in accordance with ISO9001 (Quality), ISO14001 (Environment) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). As an international research and formulation development company with representation in Australia and Thailand and over 450 employees worldwide, Sherwood Chemicals is emerging as a trusted supplier of consistent, quality termite control products.