TTR was developed by Dr. T. G. Myles at the University of Toronto, and was licensed by the University of Toronto Innovations Foundation to FMC Corporation. TTR is sometimes confused with baiting techniques, but the two techniques are fundamentally different. Baiting involves the direct ingestion of a pesticide from a contaminated food source. The bait toxicant is subsequently transported in the gut to other members of the colony through the sharing of gut contents, a process known as trophallaxis. By contrast, TTR the toxicant is applied externally to termite bodies as a groomable coating.
Coated termites carry effectively larger loads of toxicant than do bait-fed termites.
These topically treated termites act as a delivery system, carrying the pesticide throughout the colony. Through a combination of mobile dispersal of the treated termites, grooming, trophallaxis , proctodeal trophallaxis, and cannibalism , the toxicant is distributed. Under field conditions, an estimated 50-100 termites are killed for each termite treated. By contrast, baiting requires direct feeding of the bait to achieve control. Advantages of TTR .