Death by Hunger

Ypositismosphobia. Any guesses? That’s okay, I am not sure if this is legitimate or not, but from research (essentially Google) this is considered the fear of starvation; something I have been deathly afraid of since I can remember. The question is how quickly does starvation become a threat for an everyday person? The average human can go about three weeks without food yet only about 3 days without water. Water is the source of life, without it plants do not grow; animals and humans alike will die of thirst. Still, water alone cannot sustain life. Gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen help sustain life as well. I read somewhere that the average human can go 3 minutes without oxygen. If that’s the case then someone should tell Hollywood because all the movies I have seen where someone drowns, it happens in a matter of seconds. Of the long list of things living creatures need to survive I would imagine food falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. All matters of flora and fauna need food to survive as well. In the world there are herbivores, those who eat only plants and vegetation; carnivores, who only consume meat; and finally omnivores, which is a combination of the two. So where does the Big Mac fall in all of this? It’s advertised as all beef patties on a sesame seed bun but I think we all know it is more like two soy patties flavored like cow. So what does this have to do with “do it yourself” pest control?

Well, all matters of life need food to survive and insects in particular termites are no different. In attempts to go green, many pesticide manufacturers have been introducing new products to the market, some effective, others not. One of the more effective products to hit the market has been Syngenta’s (formerly a Dupont product) Altriset. This product has a one of a kind mode of action to controlling termites. Most insecticides now are a form of a neuro-toxin that when insects come in contact with it, the chemical slowly begins to attack the nervous system of the insect. Altriset is nothing of the sort. This product was designed to mimic a chemical compound researchers found in a certain tree bark that actually halts termite feeding by paralyzing the jaw muscles. Because of its design and unique mode of action, the scientists who developed the product were able to make in such a manner that it does not leave near the “footprint” on the ecology of the earth.  Meaning, Altriset is a much less toxic termiticide which means much safer for humans, so therefore a “green” product. Altriset is also a non-repellant product so termites do not even know it is there. They will return to the colony and transmit the chemical through the normal grooming that they do and so the chemical will spread across the entire population rapidly. The best part is, testing has shown Altriset to be effective for seven to nine years.  So if you are in the market for protection from subterranean termites, then this product might just be right for you.