This article describes how Dong-Hwan Choe and researchers at University of California, Riverside developed a safer alternative to traditional termite fumigation by using pinene, the natural compound responsible for the scent of pine trees, to attract drywood termites to bait treated with bistrifluron. Once termites consume the bait, the chemical prevents them from forming new exoskeletons during molting, eventually killing them while allowing time for the poison to spread throughout the colony. The study found that bistrifluron alone killed about 70% of termites, but combining it with pinene increased mortality to more than 95%. Researchers believe this method could reduce the need for toxic whole-house fumigation, lower environmental impact, decrease costs, and provide longer-lasting termite control by targeting colonies more precisely.