Potential for Subterranean Termite Attack against Five Bamboo Speciesin Correlation with Chemical Components

Bamboo has been a building material for centuries in Indonesia and Japan. Traditional buildings use bamboo to support walls or as an interior material. Recent changes in people's lifestyles and in architectural design have resulted in decreased use of bamboo. However, new housing materials made from bamboo have been developed and new building methods have also been proposed. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential for termite attack against five bamboo species, Gigantochloa apus, G.atroviolacea, G.atter, Dendrocalamus asper, and Bambusa vulgaris. The objectives of the study were to measure the chemical components of these five species in central Java and determine whether they deter attack by the subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. A factorial experiment with asplit plot design was applied with three replications. Tests of the five bamboo species indicated that extractive soluble in cold water was 5.91%; hot water was 7.70%–10.22%; toluenewas 1.99%–7.49%; holocellulose was 73.54%–80.69%; ash rate was 1.47%–4.21%; solubility in NaOH 1% was 20.93%–29.47%. Cellulosein Bambusa vulgaris (53.34%) and nitrogen content of G.apus (0.33%) were higher than those of G.atrolviolascea, G.atter, and D.asper. The highest lignin content was found in G.atter bamboo (27.33%). Termite damage was related to the chemical composition of the different bamboo species. The correlation between chemical component and termite activity test is also discussed.