DETERMINATION OF NATURAL RESISTANCE OF WOOD AND EFFICACY OF OIL FOR WOOD PROTECTION AGAINST TERMITES IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

The present research was planned to determine the natural resistance of three wood species (Acacia nilotica Wild, Dalbergia sissoo Roxb and Pinus wallichiana A. B. Jacks) and their types (sapwood and heartwood) against the termite workers (Odontotermes obesus Ramb.). Laboratory and field experiments were carried out to classify the woods according to their resistance/susceptibility against the termite. Among three wood species, D. sissoo heartwood exhibited high resistance against termites' attack. Seasoning of woods was done by oven drying at three temperatures (60, 80 and 100ºC) for 10 and 15 days. The oven dried (100ºC for 15days) woods showed weight loss reduction up to 20-25% while the termites mortality increased from 25-30% as compared to fresh woods exposed to termites infestation. In both natural resistance and seasoning experiments the order of wood resistance to the termite workers was P. wallichiana< A. nilotica