The control of termites is a major problem in the United States. The principal methods of wood preservation are inorganic arsenic com-pounds, pentachlorophenol and creosote. These agents appear to be environmentally hazardous, including carcinogenic. Preliminary re-search has revealed that the heartwood and leaf components of the junipers (Juniperus) have very high termiticidal activities.The pro-posed research would focus on a bio-guided termiticidal assay of extracts of the heartwood and leaves from J. ashei and J. virginiana, two species that are currently harvested for the production of cedar-wood oil. The most active fractions (components) will be determined and their termiticidal activities compared to commercial termiticides. The yields will be determined from whole trees in order to assess the economic feasibility.Commercial Applications:A new source of terrniticides (or precursors to commercial products) could be developed from under-utilized (weedy junipers) to substitute for environmentally hazardous chlorinated hydrocarbons currently used.
