Natural Resistance of Sclerolobium paniculatum Vogel Wood to Termites in Laboratory Conditions

ABSTRACT This work aimed to evaluate the natural resistance of the coal wood (Sclerolobium paniculatum Vogel) to xylophagous termites in force-feeding assay. Nine logs were used to evaluate the wood strength, which were removed from the core peripheral region of 45 samples measuring 2.54 × 2.00 × 0.64 cm (longitudinal × radial × tangential), five from each plant. Pinus sp. wood samples were usedas a comparison standard. The experiment was conducted in 600 ml glass bottles containing 200 g of sand and 1 ± 0.05 g of Nasutitermes termites. Passed the test period, it was observed that the termites caused only superficial damage to the wood. The overall data analysis indicates that the tested wood was classified as highly resistant to termite attack and may be suitable for use in locations affected by them.