Termites Defeated at Historic Battle of Midway Site

Pearly City, Hawaii – June 8, 2009 – The Battle of Midway was the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. One of its historic islands was more recently the site for a battle with termites. After an army of termites invaded, the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge staff called in Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions to eradicate the destructive pests.

Located in the North Pacific Ocean nearly halfway between North America and Asia, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Papahãnaumokuãkea Marine National Monument, includes two significant islands – Sand Island and Eastern Island – which together total just 2.4 square miles. Sand Island is home to many historic buildings as well as an operating runway that today provides intercontinental flights with a critical emergency landing site in the middle of the ocean. Despite its remote location, the property on the island was being attacked by termites.

"The termite infestation of the structures on the island was severe," says Michael Botha, president of Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions, based in Pearl City, Hawaii. "The historic buildings were being destroyed from the top down by drywood termites and from the bottom up by subterranean termites. Aside from other challenges we encountered, such as working alongside protected seabirds nesting on and around the buildings, the presence of more than one type of termite presented another challenge – each species of termite required a different treatment method."

To treat for drywood termites, 33 of the island's structures – totaling 4 million cubic feet – were covered with large, sealed tents and fumigated with VIKANE^® gas fumigant. The massive project was especially difficult due to the remoteness of the island. The crew at Sandwich Isle was required to ship more than 30,000 pounds of fumigation equipment to the island – located more than 1,000 miles away – via a slow-moving barge. The crew itself had to charter a private flight to arrive at the distant location.

One important consideration is that the isolation of the island allows a number of rare species of wildlife to thrive while being protected from predators. The tiny islands are habitat for millions of rare seabirds, including several classified as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union. This made it vital for the fumigation team to work closely with biologists on the island to ensure no wildlife were threatened or their habitats disturbed during the termite treatment. The team even timed the fumigations to occur when seabirds were not nesting on the island, as some species spend several months at sea each year.

After the fumigation was complete and drywood termites were exterminated, the team addressed the subterranean termites. Working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, the Sandwich Isle crew considered the unique environmental conditions of the island, which included the sensitive wildlife and a shallow 6-foot watertable. The biologists chose the SENTRICON^® Termite Colony Elimination System, an environmentally responsible¹ subterranean termite baiting system that provides proven colony elimination.² 

Nearly 2,000 SENTRICON stations were installed around the 35 structures infested by subterannean termites. The Sandwich Isle crew then monitored for termite activity and introduced bait to the SENTRICON stations where activity was detected. With continued service and regular monitoring, the SENTRICON System and an authorized representative from Sandwich Isle will protect the structures over the long term from other termite colonies.

"When we first started work at Midway Atoll, we were finding termites in about a quarter of the SENTRICON stations – maybe 500 of them," Botha says. "On our most recent monitoring trip, we only found two stations with signs of termite activity. That definitely speaks to the efficacy of the SENTRICON System."

With the recent battle of Midway nearing its end, the Refuge staff is satisfied that the important historical site will be preserved for future generations.

"We wanted to use effective tools that would protect the historic structures from the Battle of Midway era," says Matt Brown, monument manager at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. "We're pleased to say the treatment methods we chose are helping to save a piece of America's heritage."

For more information on Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions' work for Papahãnaumokuãkea at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, contact Botha at (808) 456-7716 or visit www.sandwichisle.com. For information about the SENTRICON^® System, visit www.sentricon.com, and for more information about VIKANE gas fumigant, visit www.termitetenting.com. To learn more about Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, visit www.fws.gov/midway.

Contact:
April Dart
(262) 938-5529
adart@bader-rutter.com