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ABSTRACT
Termites are terrestrial polymorphic eusocial insects. Their ecological success is sometimes attributed to a complex social structure combined with a unique capacity to feed on recalcitrant plant debris such as wood. Lambda – cyhalothrin and glyphosphate have been reported to have serious non target effect against man, animals including insect. Therefore this study investigated the effects of some conventional pesticides on the survival of worker termites. Worker termites were exposed to different concentrations of glyphosate, lambda-cyhalothrin, and chlorpyrifos. Glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, and lamda-cyhalothrin pesticides caused varying levels of mortality against Macrotermes species. Mortality caused by the recommended dosage of the different pesticides varied significantly with time. There was a significant difference between the percentage mortality caused by the recommended concentrations of the different pesticides after an hour of exposure. The two insecticides chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin caused 100% mortality each and the herbicide glyphosate resulted in 14% mortality of worker termites. Percentage mortality varied significantly after 6-hour exposure. Chlorpyrifos and Lambdacyhalothrin caused 100% mortality in worker termites while glyphosate caused 44% mortality after 6 hours. Following a 12-hour exposure, duration percentage mortality of termites varied significantly with Chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin causing 100% mortality respectively while glyphosate caused 86% mortality. When utilized at a dose higher than recommended, they have the potential to damage the ecosystem and become toxic to individuals. This study showed that glyphosphate and lambda-cyhalothrin insecticides cause high mortality when used both below and above the recommended concentrations. It is recommended that people should be cautious about pesticides application, that is, to balance agricultural needs with environmental and health concerns.
