A termite barrier is a physical object that keeps termites from penetrating the foundation of a house or accessing other parts of the property. Termites are wood-destroying pests most commonly found all over the planet. New developments and centrally heated homes all over the United States, Europe and Australia have made them the breeding centers of termites. According to Bjostad, termites cause $22 billion in structural damage annually around the world. This includes $11 billion in annual damage in the United States, including damage in Colorado, where many residents are unaware of termite infestation. The estimated cost of termite treatment is 200 million Euros per year. If added to the cost of repairs, replacement or destruction of structures, furniture, walls and other woodwork, the annual cost in France would be around 500 million Euros a year. More and more countries are now heading towards a termite barrier system installed during the construction phase of the house. Termirepel^®™ can be incorporated in these termite barriers and thus used for protection of the houses from termites.

Termirepel^®™ can also be used as a wood preservative to protect household furniture from infestation by aggressive Formosan termites which are known to inhabit wooden constructions. The wood prior to use in the application can be dipped into a solution of Termirepel^®™ thus rendering it termite proof.

Insects are most often responsible for damaging crops as it eats leaves or burrows in stems, fruit, or roots. Losses to the tune of 10,000 hectares of paddy crops getting destroyed due to insects and worms have been reported in areas like Bhubaneswar, Orissa. This requires that the problem of insects be addressed in an effective manner.

Drip irrigation & Pipelines (pre- harvest losses): Drip irrigation, also known microirrigation, is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. However, the whole purpose of conservation of water using such systems turns futile if these tubes get vulnerable to damage by subterranean termites or other such insects which feed on polymeric applications. This requires that the tubings and pipelines used for this purpose be termite resistant.

Storage containers and bags (post- harvest losses): According to a 1990 survey of extension specialists throughout the United States, stored grain losses exceeded $500 million for the year. Most of these losses resulted from infestation by several species of insects and damage by numerous molds and mycotoxins. Similar losses have been reported over the years in various countries. These losses need to be minimized/nullified. Plastic bags which are incorporated with Termirepel^®™ can be used to tackle this menace thereby reducing losses of the stored grain.

Subterranean termites and other insects are known to feed on wires and cables which may be laid underground for transmission of information and communication purposes. This can expose wires and lead to short circuits. The Termite Prevention and Control Research Institute has studies reporting that insects also damage wires and cables made from copper, iron and aluminum. Hence the damage done to wires and cables needs to be addressed. Conventional insecticides cannot be extruded along with these wires and cables as they aren’t meant for polymer processing temperatures often leading to toxic fumes which are a hazard to workers handling the processing of wires and cables. Termirepel^®™ combines the need to deal with these pests as also of having a non toxic and non hazardous additive for the telecommunication industry.

Gas pipelines especially the ones which are used in the city gas distribution systems since they are made of polymeric material are vulnerable to attacks by aggressive subterranean termites as also other insects. These applications are especially sensitive since they are used for hauling natural gas over long distances and thus can lead to a potential disaster in case of a gas leak. Hence insect/termite proofing of the gas pipeline needs to be done effectively.

Passenger coaches often are infested with roaches and bed bugs and several other insects. This can cause great discomfort for passengers especially in long distance trains. Pantry cars are also vulnerable to cockroach and other insect infestation which can contaminate the food via droppings, wings etc. besides creating an unhygienic atmosphere. These problems can be addressed by the use of Termirepel^®™ by blending with paint and coating the same to the coaches.

World over heritage structures which are the symbol of pride for any country suffer the ignominy of being vandalized by birds who sit on these heritage structures and make a mess with their pecking, food habits and droppings. Termirepel^®™ provides a solution by which these structures can be restored to their former glory! A customized application of Termirepel®™ is possible by which it can act on certain receptors in the feet of these birds and thus effectively prevent them from approaching these structures paves the way for heritage structures to once again serve as a symbol of pride and glory.