Sentricon educates UPLB students on termite busting

When voracious and destructure "anay" strikes, what do you do? Spray on voluminous amounts of pesticides. Well, maybe not. Gone are the days where pesticides reign over termite colonies lurking in our homes, offices or schools. At a recent seminar entitled "An Insight on the Structure of Pest Control Industry in the Philippines" held at the University of the Philippines (UPLB) in Los Baños, Laguna, students of the Department of Entomology got a glimpse of the local industry’s move to adapt to a pest control management system that works efficiently without the pesticides.

According to main speaker Didi Gonzales, president of PestCon Pest Management, it is important for future entomologist to know their "insects.’ "Most of us entomologists in the industry today learned through training and hands-on experience. With the new crop of entomologists, we are hoping they would be more knowledgeable on insects. See them not only as pests but also appreciate them for their wonderful colors."

He said knowledge about insects makes it easier to identify which form of elimination is necessary. In his presentation on the Bioecology of Termites, Gonzales discussed the classification of termites, feeding behavior and habits as well as how damaging one type could be, among others.

He also revealed the reason there is a so-called pesticides ‘overload’ in the country is because only a few people really know about pests. "Identification of pest is really important." Even then, he foresees the pest management industry not heavily relying on pesticides due to increased awareness among farmers, government agencies and environmental groups on its harmful effects.

Gonzales is optimistic the P1.4 billion pest control industry will go up in the next six years. "I have always believed that this industry will not falter, but will be on the upswing."

It was actually the first time Sectricon participated in a forum for students. Sales and marketing manager William Panuelos said the activity served as a relevant venue to share the company’s revolutionary product with future industry professionals. "This is an important opportunity for us to impart basic information to foster better understanding of termites and how to eliminate them via Sentricon.

Sentricon’s Termite Colony Elimination System is an innovative system developed by Dow AgroSciences using a baiting technology to exterminate annoying little creatures. It employs an active ingredient called hexaflummuron that is known to stop the molting process of termites. Once it hits the workers or soldiers, the whole colony cannot sustain itself and eventually, wiped out for good.

Sentricon’s three-step process: detection of termites, elimination of colonies and preventive protection against reinfestation through monitoring of a highly trained authorized operator ensures every property receives long-term protection from possible "anay" attack.

Elmer Baradas, president of Entom Pest Control and General Services Corporation were on hand to conduct an actual demonstration. He explained the components and function of Sentricon stations, the Baitube device and bait among others. He emphasized that "monitoring is key" with Sentricon.

For inquiries about Sentricon call 772-5006 or visit www.sentricon.com. Or call University of the Philippines-Department of Entomology at (049) 536-1315.