Structural pests are tough to observe because they are under your floors, in your walls, in the attic, or in the cracks and crevices of your home. Welcome to the Villa Termiti, a unique building originally constructed for pest management research to be conducted within its wall voids, attic, subfloor areas, and other structural components. Area Urban IPM Advisor Andrew Sutherland is working on a renovation project to improve the Villa. “While the Villahas been used extensively for research, it has seldom been used for training purposes. One project goal is to create a new training facility for California’s urban pest management professionals that will be used as a set for video-based learning, online training, and other distance-based educational methods, as well as hands-on educational programs,” says Sutherland.
Once the renovation is complete, licensed pest management professionals will benefit from these in-person and virtual learning opportunities. Beginning in 2022, enhanced Villa will first be used as a set to develop a pilot video-based online educational program focused on structural inspection strategies and pest identification processes.
”One project goal is to create a new training facility for California’s urban pest management professionals that will be used as a set for video-based learning, online training, and other distance-based educational methods, as well as hands-on educational programs.” —Andrew Sutherland
The renovation includes features that allow the Villa Termiti to showcase hidden pests and demonstrate pest inspection and management practices. For example, removable wall, floor, and ceiling hatches will help students understand typical structural elements, aiding in inspection processes and use of inspection tools. These hatches will also allow for replicated pest management studies within structural void spaces. Also being discussed are transparent viewing panels that showcase cross sections of the exterior walls, pest prevention and exclusion tactics such as door sweeps and outlet gaskets, a showcase of different stair materials and decking, directional mirrors for hard-to-see places in the attic and crawl space, and staging of live pests within wall voids. A ceiling-mounted projector and pull-down screen are practical improvements for educational presentations.
Villa Termiti is a 400-square-foot wooden structure built in 1992 with funding from California's Structural Pest Control Board. It is located on the UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station and jointly operated by the Field Station’s Maintenance & Operations Unit and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR).
Long-Term Impacts
Over the years, the Villa has been used for dozens of research projects associated with pest management in and around single-family homes and other structures. The results of these studies and demonstrations have appeared in dozens of peer-reviewed papers and trade magazine articles about detection and management of key urban pests, including drywood termites, wood-destroying beetles, ants, and bed bugs. The proposed in-person trainings, virtual trainings, and videos produced at the renovated Villawill increase licensed pest management professionals’ knowledge regarding structural pest control IPM strategies and pest identification and detection. These trainings may also increase pest control efficacy and decrease the harm associated with pest management, such as environmental contamination or unnecessary pesticide exposure.
