EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE (ISOPTERA: Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar)) ENTERING INTO BUILDINGS AND EFFECTS ON THERMAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING MATERIALS By CYNTHIA LINTON TUCKER A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2008 Cynthia Linton Tucker 2 Windswake Farm 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to my academic and research advisor, Phil Koehler, for his unwavering support. Through careful questioning and insightful comments he was able to suggest alternative courses of action in experimental and analytical developments. I am extremely thankful for the financial support of Dow AgroSciences. I am also thankful in particular to Ellen Thoms, Raymond Issa, and Richard Patterson who along with Phil Koehler constituted my supervisory committee and guided the research to a successful end. I would also like to thank my office mates and compatriots for their unending support. I would also like to thank Gilman Marshal (the lab’s biological scientist and safety officer) for his patience and grateful support. Finally I thank my parents and family for their unending support. And I am grateful for warm summer memories of Windswake Farm. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................................8 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................9 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................13 2 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................16 Evolution of Termites.............................................................................................................16 Important Subterranean Termites in the United States...........................................................17 Termite Caste System.............................................................................................................18 Process of Tunnel Formation..................................................................................................20 Feeding Habits........................................................................................................................22 Building Construction and Its Relevance to Termite Exploitation.........................................23 Building Codes .......................................................................................................................23 Building code history ......................................................................................................24 USA code history: ...........................................................................................................24 Concrete Construction Standards ...........................................................................................25 Wood Framing Standards .......................................................................................................27 Termite Control Options.........................................................................................................28 Physical Barriers.....................................................................................................................30 Heat Transfer Concepts ..........................................................................................................31 Insulation ................................................................................................................................33 Thermal Transmission ............................................................................................................33 3 ABILITY OF EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES TO MOVE THROUGH CRACKS ................................................................................................................................35 Introduction.............................................................................................................................35 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................36 Termites...........................................................................................................................36 Effect of Crack Width on Penetration and Consumption by Caste.................................37 Effect of Termite Head Capsule Dimension on Penetration Through Cracks ................38 Data Analysis...................................................................................................................38 Results.....................................................................................................................................39 Effect of Crack Width on Penetration and Consumption by Caste.................................39 Effect Termite Head Capsule Dimension on Penetration Through Cracks.....................40 Discussion...............................................................................................................................41 5 4 METHODS TO PREVENT PENETRATION OF CONCRETE-PIPE INTERFACES BY THE EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE............................................................52 Introduction.............................................................................................................................52 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................54 Termites...........................................................................................................................54 Pipe Sleeve Experiment...................................................................................................54 Pipe Sleeve Treatments ............................................................................................54 Pipe Sleeve Experimental Arena..............................................................................55 Termite Blocker Experiment ...........................................................................................56 Treatments................................................................................................................56 Termite Blocker Experimental Arena ......................................................................57 Data Analysis...................................................................................................................58 Results.....................................................................................................................................59 Pipe Sleeve Experiment...................................................................................................59 Termite Blocker Experiment ...........................................................................................61 Discussion...............................................................................................................................62 5 DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE DAMAGE TO THE THERMAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS .....................................................................72 Introduction.............................................................................................................................72 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................73 Termites...........................................................................................................................73 Termite Damage to Construction Materials. ...................................................................74 Thermal Imaging. ............................................................................................................75 Data Analysis...................................................................................................................75 Results.....................................................................................................................................76 2x4s..................................................................................................................................76 Plywood...........................................................................................................................77 Rigid Foam Board Insulation. .........................................................................................78 Discussion...............................................................................................................................79 6 EFFECTS OF EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE DAMAGE ON THE THERMAL PROPERTIES OF COMMON BUILDING MATERIALS...............................85 Introduction.............................................................................................................................85 Materials and Methods ...........................................................................................................87