Termite Baiting
Huge advances have been made in the area of termite baits in the last decade. Termites have traditionally been difficult to poison. That’s because they are very perceptive at detecting a poison in their food. Early attempts by the scientists to lace blocks of wood or cardboard with poisons such as arsenic or boron were unsuccessful as these treated materials were rejected by the termites.
New generation termite baits
Modern termite baits are highly effective and have transformed our industry. Typically a bait station, which holds a cellulose material containing an active ingredient is installed to an area known to hold termite activity. The baits active ingredient (chlorfluazuron) is a hormone inhibitor that, once consumed by the termites, is taken back to the Queen and when she perishes so does the whole colony.
Providing the termites remain active in a known accessible spot in an infested building, it is virtually guaranteed that a baiting program will eliminate the colony. The time span involved tends to be surprisingly variable, but five to eight months is about normal, with a few jobs going over a year.
The termite baits also provide a means to collect samples for species identification and monitor termite activity.
A wonderful benefit of having the new generation of highly effective termite baits is that infested buildings that would not respond to a chemical soil treatment because of design issues can be treated with termite baits. As a result, we’re using chemical treatments far less often today chemicals are the last resort in managing termite infestation.
Don’t forget the plan
As termite baiting systems do not isolate the building from the colony, termites are still able to access the structure. This means that baits are not ideal for long-term structural protection.
Accordingly a successful baiting program should be followed with some on-going management such as inspections plus termite monitoring or chemical protection.
There are several major brands now available in Australia. Click on the links below to learn more.
- Exterra Termite Baiting
- Sentricon II Termite Baiting
- Nemesis Termite Baits
- Sherwood Termite Baits