My friend Dr. Nan-Yao Su stops by to talk about termites! Where they are found most often, their biology and digestion, the damage they can do and the incredible system he invented to control termite populations. We discuss his academic journey from Taiwan, Japan, Hawaii and then on to Florida.
We discuss the original inefficient method of controlling termite population that including pouring toxic pesticides under houses, late turned out to find in traces of breast milk in pregnant women. This is an absolutely interesting conversation with a brilliant human being!
Dr. Nan-Yao Su is a highly distinguished Professor in Urban Entomology. He is recognized worldwide as a leading authority on termites, known for his innovative approaches to population management. He has authored and co-authored over 260 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on termite biology and control, making significant contributions to the field.
Dr. Su’s studies on the population ecology of subterranean termites and slow-acting toxicants led to the development of a baiting system for population control of these cryptic pests. The laboratory screening criteria and field procedures he designed has been used worldwide for development of new bait products as well as their confirmation of field efficacy.
The commercialized system, Sentricon, has been marketed in 18 countries since 1995 and has protected over three million homes, reducing pesticide use by more than 9,000 metric tons. Due to its safety features, the Sentricon system received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award by the U.S. EPA.
It has also been used widely to protect historic monuments, including the Statue of Liberty.Dr. Su has served as a technical advisor relating to termite issues for foreign governments such as New Zealand, China, and Vietnam. In 2009, he established the Nan-Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology of the Entomological Society of America.
Dr. Su received his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu in 1982, his M.Sc. in Sericultural Science from Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan in 1977, and his B.Sc. in Sericultural Science from the same institute in 1975.
Dr. Su has published numerous articles on managing social insects of urban importance, with his most cited papers covering subterranean termite control practices, the Formosan subterranean termite, and novel technologies for subterranean termite control.
His research has spanned multiple decades and has resulted in significant advancements in the field of urban entomology.
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