Thelastoverviewoftermitesforthenon-specialistwaspublishedseveraldecadesagoandintheinterveningyears,bothknowledge,andthetermitesthemselveshavemovedon.A27-yeareradicationeffortforonetermiteinfestationinDevonhasshownthatUKstructuresarebecomingvulnerableastheclimatechangesandalsothatexterminationofacolonycanbedifficultevenwhentherearenoothertermiteswaitingtoinvade.Heritagebuildingsoftenpresentevenmoreproblems.Surveyworkandtreatmentsmaybecomplicatedbystructuralandmaterialcomplexityoverlainwitharequirementtoretainasmuchundisturbedandoriginalfabricaspossible.Therewillbeconcealedcavitiesnotinspected,andinsertedbarriers,bothchemicalandphysical,willinevitablybeincomplete.Thisstudydiscussesthemodifiableenvironmentalparametersthatgoverntermiteactivityandoffersaresumeofthebaitsandchemicaltreatmentsthathavebeendevelopedsothatthemostappropriatecanbeselectedwherenecessary.Itisprimarilyintendedforthoseinvolvedinconservation,bothintheUKandelsewhere,whocommonlyhavelimitedresources.Itishopedthatitwillalsobeofusetoarchitects,surveyorsandotherswithaninterestinHeritagestructures.
