New chemical wipes out 95% of termites without harming humans

A chemical that stops drywood termites from building new exoskeletons killed about 95% of colonies in testing, offering a potentially safer alternative to traditional fumigation. Because termites eventually have no choice but to molt, the treatment turns a normal stage of their life cycle into a fatal weakness. New chemical wipes out 95% of termites without harming humans.

New chemical wipes out 95% of termites without harming humans Science News from research organizations New chemical wipes out 95% of termites without harming humans Scientists found a way to kill drywood termites by blocking the new exoskeleton they desperately need to survive their next molt. Instead of building obvious nests, they can spend nearly their entire lives hidden inside beams, framing, furniture, and other dry wood, slowly carving out galleries as a colony grows. That hidden existence makes them difficult to find and difficult to eliminate.

But researchers at the University of California, Riverside identified a biological weakness that termites cannot hide from: they have to molt. A study published in 2025 in the Journal of Economic Entomology showed that bistrifluron, an insect growth regulator that interferes with the formation of a new exoskeleton, can kill western drywood termites with remarkable efficiency. In controlled laboratory experiments, the chemical produced 95.7 percent mortality when termites had a choice between treated and untreated wood, and about 99 percent mortality when they were continuously exposed to treated wood.

Turning Termite Growth Against Them "This chemical is more environmentally friendly than ones traditionally used for drywood termite infestations," said Nicholas Poulos, corresponding author of the paper and a doctoral student in UCR’s Department of Entomology.