167 



This does not apply to trees of five years or upwards for on such 

 estates the fallen forest trees have either already been devoured or have 

 completely rotted away, Termes gestroi being thus forced to confine its 

 attacks to the Para rubber. 



It may perhaps be argued that when the trees are burnt the 

 Termites are destroyed. A certain number undoubtedly are but many 

 of those contained within the trunks of trees and those below the ground 

 remain untouched. 



Except where stated the foregoing remarks apply only to young 

 plantations (up to the ages of 4. years) as in the older ones the conditions 

 are totally changed and any methods of eradication which will be sug- 

 gested for young estates do not necessarily apply to those containing 

 trees of 5 years or upwards. 



Methods to be Employed Against Termes Gestrol 



The only chemical with which any degree of success has been 

 obtained in other parts of the world is Carbon Bisulphide. 



This insecticide is however most difficult to obtain in this country, 

 and its prohibitive cost excludes it general use especially over any great 

 area. N 



Attention to remedial or rather preventative measures should 

 therefore be directed elsewhere for the present. 



My own observations made on young estates have firmly convinced 

 me that the only remunerative method to be employed against the 

 ravages of T. gestroi, is to follow up their burrows and so ascertain 

 the position of the nests. There as heretofore stated will be found 

 either in or around buried stumps, or contained within the fallen trees 

 lying on the surface of the ground. 



Such trees must be destroyed. 



There are only a few native trees which are attacked and acquaint- 

 ance should be made with these. The most important are Kumpas, 

 Meranti and Pulai. 



On freshly felled land I would not advise the destruction of the 

 Kumpas, Meranti, and Pulai trees in the first instance as they 

 subsequently afford means of locating T. gestroi and should then be 

 completely destroyed together with the ants. Trees lying on the 

 ground are easily detected if attacked, and before doing away with 

 these trees, the burrows leading away from them must be followed up 

 and disturbed. 



This method would not require more coolies than are at present 

 employed in making daily inspections of the rubber trees, and would 

 as has been shown be far more effective, if not a final treatment. 



Young trees which are attacked by gestroi and show no external 

 signs of disease are often discovered by following the burrows of T. 

 gestroi issuing from dead trees. Treating the former trees at an early 

 stage of the disease, conbined with destruction of the source of their 

 infection is sufficient to prevented further attacks (at all events from 

 the same source) and in all probability will save a considerable area 

 any becoming badly infected. 



On the majority of estates in the F. M. S. on certain number of coo- 

 lies have their work confined to repelling the attacks of Termes gestroi. 



