Ecological solution for termite problem: A trip to Harike Wildlife Sanctuary showed the way

In February 2024, I had an opportunity to visit Harike Wildlife Sanctuary in Punjab. The visit was work-related, where we had to assess the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary’s biodiversity. 

For a few days, we stayed at the Canal Rest House in Harike, which was built in 1953, when the construction of Harike Headworks started in 1952. This rest house showcases the memories of activities and architectural work carried out during the construction of Harike headworks through various photographs in its gallery. 

The rest house is quite busy during the weekends, especially during winters, when the large congregation of migratory birds come to Harike wetland, which is a sight to behold attracting tourists. 

During our stay, we were greeted and assisted by the official gardener as well as the caretaker-cum-watchman. We used to discuss agriculture, climate and birds of Harike over tea every morning and evening at the courtyard of the rest house after our field visits. 

One morning, during our conversation about plants thriving on the lawn of the rest house, caretaker Bhagwan Das pointed toward a clump of tall grass and said this plant is a 'termite magnet'. 

In mixed Hindi and Punjabi, he shared that the building was heavily infested by termites till five-six years ago when his colleague and him planted the tall grass Tripidium bengalense (Saccharum munja), locally known as kana. 

Back then, it was like a nightmare for them to protect the furniture, doors, window panels and even the linens kept in the cupboards from termites. However, after the plantation of this grass found commonly in the area, some 20-30 feet away from the building, the termite infestation reduced significantly in the building. This explained its presence in large clumps on the lawn and around the rest house on all sides at 10-20 feet intervals. 

In a unique way, the grass attracted the termite towards itself and away from the building, but not as a deterrent or repellent for termites. Surprisingly, there was no literature or information on the species or its products in relation to termite control.

My teammate and I, who where triggerred by this ecologically significant traditional knowledge, also didn't find the grass in the list of plant species used for termite problems, which mainly act as a deterrent and repellent. 

Much information about Tripidium benaglense and its usage for thatching, soil binding, widespread root network reducing erosion, basket and rope making and many other household uses in rural areas are available but not as solutions to termite problems. 

This showed a unique and different perception of the same age-old problem of termite infestation, where the solution lies in seeing the problem with a different perspective and instead of using any ecological deterrent, they used an attractant to divert the focus of the termites from the building to that plant itself. 

On close inspection of those grass clumps, we found that all the older stems of the clumps were heavily infested by the termites and new stems were also germinating. It's working continually, providing food to the termites and keeping them in their root network away from the building. 

This story is an example of using traditional ecological knowledge to solve modern-day problems in an environment-friendly way. It was a unique and low-cost ecological method of safeguarding old structures, which was applied based on the local ecological knowledge of those men working there.

At the same time, it also highlighted a gap in our understanding, which needs to be scientifically tested and assessed. The knowledge needs rigorous scientific assessment and experiments before scientific application and wide-scale usage. It also opens up a new direction for research on how this process works and how it can be used in urban or semi-urban areas, supported with scientific explanations. 

Vivek Ranjan, Gopi GV and Sipu Kumar are associated with the Wildlife Institute of India. Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.