Application of New Pyrethroid, Fluvalinate to Wood Preservatives

A new pyrethroid, fluvalinate was studied for its termiticidal efficacy by conducting some labolatory and field tests. The efficacy of fluvalinate was found to be almost equal or more than that of other synthetic pyrethroids, such as permethrin and fenvalerate in the wood-block tests and this potency increased by the addition of a pyrethroid synergist, indicating the possibility of lowering the fluvalinate concentration in some formulations. Comparative studies with some pyrethroids and organophosphorus compounds showed that fluvalinate has a good stability to light and is relatively stable in the soil. Oil formulations containing fluvalinate for timber treatment were perfectly effective to the wood-decaying fungi and termites. Futherniore, Emulsion type fluvalinate for soil treatment prevented sufficiently the termites penetration to the treated soil. Because of the low mammalian toxicity and no problem of fluvalinate translocation in the environment, it seems that fluvalinate-based termiticides are promising alternatives to the organophosphorus compounds for wood preserving purposes.