Colony differences in termiticide transfer studies, a role for behavior?

Donor-recipient termiticide transfer laboratory tests were performed by using destructive sampling with two delayed-action non-repellent (DANR) termiticides against each of three colonies of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Two of the three colonies showed no response to indoxacarb, but all three showed a response to chlorantraniliprole. These results indicate that behavioral variation among colonies is not likely responsible for the variability in recipient mortality among colonies noted in transfer studies in the literature. Donor mortality with these compounds and colonies suggests that variable physiological susceptibility of individual colonies to certain compounds may be more important than variations in behavior.