What Strategy now?

 The Bio security Authority of Fiji (BAF) is concerned that despite continuous awareness and advice on the precautionary measures needed to be taken during termite swarming season, many residents in Lautoka are still not adhering to it. There are many residents who continue to be excessive in their use of lights in the evening.
Residents have also been asked to light small fires in a controlled area outside their homes so the termites get attracted to it and burn themselves in the fire.
Termite swarming is common during this time of the year as it was part of the termite life cycle when they developed wings and flew to other areas to start new colonies. Once termites enter the homes they are likely to shed their wings and form new colonies.
The government had organised for Operation Kadivuka to take control of the termite eradication process but it now it seems like there will be no eradication as the Asian Subterranean Termites (AST) as it has been in Fiji for the 30 years.
It is alarming to know that these small insects were really preyed on after residents complained about it eating their houses and also the food supplies, what were the authorities doing before that.
Now the termites are infesting the trees and forestry so this could affect our agriculture and forestry industry
BAF was privatised after the termite incident broke out from the Ministry of Forestry.
It looks like the relevant authorities did not conduct any tests of any anything and are never on the lookout for the pests that may be in the country unless they a hear a complain about it.
The government has spent a considerable amount of money on the control and containment of the termites and some progress has been seen but this does not equal to the difficulty the affected residents are facing when rebuilding their houses.
So when will all this end?
The forestry department says that all construction timber is treated and every piece of timber that is sold at the hardware shops should a marking on it , that is, the branding on the timber.
The President of the Fiji Saw Millers Association says that not all the timber is treated because sometimes those that are working at the treatment plants do not treat timber which they deem durable so this could be a possible cause for the increase in termite infestation.
To this the forestry official said that it is poverty that is causing the increase of termites. Those that are rebuilding their houses get timber that is not treated and has been lying around so the infestation increases. Also that people get firewood from the forests in the Tavakubu in Lautoka and these logs are infested with termites.
It is surprising to learn from the residents of the area that even those BAF officials also take firewood from the same forest.
If poverty is the problem, the the government should have provided for these individuals because word from them is that they are rehabilitating all the houses that were affected.
Money should be spent on prevention and not on the cure as it is far more expensive and in Fiji's case, money can not just be spent sparingly.
This is the advice from world termite expert Professor Paras Nath, who is Fiji National University's new Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

This sort of insect pest management uses methods that include crop variety, time of sowing, use of recommended doses of fertilizer, inter cropping, plant spacing and irrigation intervals, while biological methods involve biodiversity manipulation, use of microbial pesticides, conservation of natural enemies, predators and parasites, plant products, animal products such as cow excreta and urine, mechanical methods such as sticky traps, pheromone trap, bait trap, light trap, and chemicals.

It would be wise if the relevant government authorities look into this as soon as possible.