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Do It Yourself Termite Baiting | Termite Control Information
Termite Bait Productsa | All Termite Control Products
Until recently, the
only methods available for subterranean termite control were the traditional
barrier treatments using large amounts of chemicals. There are alternative
termite control strategies, baiting systems are the most promising as
to replace barrier treatments.
Termite baits are
a whole different concept. With this approach, small amounts of material
known as the toxicant knocks out populations of termites foraging in and
around the structure.
Some homes may have
only baits as a "stand alone treatment", others may be integrated with
liquid or barrier treatments. Using a baiting system with barrier treatments
will allow a reduction of amounts of pesticide use.
No termite control
method can guarantee you will never get termites. Termite control may
include a combination of one or more of these methods, a baiting system,
termiticide treatment, moisture control, foaming, removal of earth wood
contact and etc.
Termite baiting is
a simple process and can be used as a preventive measure to detect termites
where they are not yet a problem.
OVERVIEW OF THE TERMITE BAITING PROCESS
Termite baiting concept made simple:
- FIRST:
Establish a solid feeding cycle between the bait stations and the termite
colony by "prebaiting", Placing monitoring stations that include
a wood monitor or inspection cartridges in the soil. You establish this by
allowing the foraging termites eat the wood, "sourcing out" the
feeding source.
- If you were
to put our the "active" or "toxicant" at
this point you would kill off the very workers that you need
to establish the cycle. Once the termites start eating on that
wood or the inspection cartridge, introduce the toxicant or active.
- THIRD:
Termites eat this particular bait, feeding it to the entire colony....and
in THEORY the colony dies and the complete colony is eliminated.
Currently, there
is no way to substantiate claims of "complete"colony elimination.
Laboratory tests
do suggest that colony elimination is possible..but in reality they
may have multiple food sources, the poisoned bait not being the only
food source.
-
Population reduction and
not population elimination
is more likely the true story. In laboratory tests...termites
are confined to a test site given only the bait as the choice of
food. This is not a reality with multiple food sources,buried tree
stumps, etc.
However with proper monitoring and bait placement the termites will
consume it,resulting in a population reduction! Because of the smaller
population level you would find less stress from the termite colony,
resulting in less feeding and less damage.
It can be a valuable tool. Termite baits are an added measure of security
and are best used in conjunction with the traditional soil treatments
if you have a current infestation .
In infested structures,
it is best to treat the area where termites are found with the barrier
/ traditional soil treatment. You would be cutting off the termites'
current food sources (your structure), forcing them to find other
sources for food ( the bait for example). However, you don't place
the bait and the liquid termiticide in the same place.
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WHAT
ARE TERMITE BAITS?
-
Termite baits
consist of paper, cardboard, or other acceptable termite food, combined
with a slow-acting substance lethal to termites. The bait must be
good enough to compete with the presence of competing tree roots,
stumps, woodpiles and structural wood. If the bait kills too quickly,
sick or dead termites may accumulate in the vicinity of the bait stations,
increasing the chance of avoidance by other termites in the area.
Delayed-action or slow acting bait also enhances transmission of the
lethal agent to other termites, including those that never fed on
the bait.
-
Some bait stations
are installed below ground out in the yard and others are positioned
within the structure in the vicinity of active termite mud tubes or
feeding sites. Below-ground stations typically contain untreated wood
until termite activity is detected inside the stations. Then the wood
is replaced with active ingredient treated material-the bait itself.
on.
-
Termite baits
may also be installed above ground in known areas of termite activity.
Typically, the stations are installed directly in the path of active
termite tunnels after the mud tubes have been broken.
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UNDERSTANDING TERMITE BEHAVIOR IN BAITING
- A key characteristic
of termites in dealing with termite baiting systems is the fact that
termites cannot be attracted. As of yet there is not a bait on the market
that actually "attracts" termites. Yes, you will find roach, ant,and
even rodent bait that is designed to attract the target pest to the
bait...but not for termites. However, because termites randomly forage
in the ground around their colony in search for food, they will eventually
forage at almost every point in the earth around their colony. The first
thing done in the installation is putting out stations in the ground
that contain wood that serve as monitoring tools. Once termites start
eating the wood in the monitoring stations , you replace the wood with
the bait. Termite baits use small amounts of insecticide to knock out
populations of termites foraging around the structure. The toxicant-laced
bait should be installed after termites have been detected in an untreated
monitoring device(wood).
For this reason,
monitoring and inspecting your bait stations or having them monitored
is critical. It is possible for a homeowner to install and maintain
an in-ground bait system. However you should understand that you will
need to commit yourself to monthly monitoring throughout the first
year and at least every 3 months after that. In research conducted
in the southern states it sometimes took 1-5 months for termites to
find the bait stations. In the northern states, the bait stations
may not be found for a year or more. Bait stations may be more likely
to be found in the spring when foraging may be most active.
After the bait
has been placed, You continue to inspect the bait stations monthly.
After no more evidence of feeding is seen, it is assumed that the
colony has been eliminated and the bait is once again replaced with
the wood monitors. Monthly inspections will continue to be sure that
termites don't return. This system then serves as a long-term monitoring
program and the bait can easily be added to the bait stations at the
first signs of termite feeding.
- It is also important
to note that termites will leave an area if they are disturbed. Because
they have no natural defenses against disturbances, they simply leave
the area they have been feeding. So, it is important to minimize disturbance
of termites feeding in the stations.
- Termites frequently
exchange food and body secretions as part of their normal activity.
This food/secretion exchange is called trophallaxis. Trophallaxis also
transfers microbes in the gut that aid in breaking down cellulose to
new members of the colony. The termite queen secretes specific chemicals
that are used to communicate and "direct" the activities of all members
of her colony. The chemical secretions eventually pass through all members
of a colony. The reason why baits are even possible for termite control
is because exchange of food/secretions allows slow-acting baits to be
transferred throughout the entire colony. Eventually the whole colony
will be reduced to such a low level that it can't survive and termite
activity will stop.
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INSTALLATION
OF TERMITE BAITS: How it works
Bait products
can be installed below ground in the yard or above ground level on
the inside of the strucure. Some homes may have only baits as a "stand
alone treatment", others may be integrated with liquid or barrier
treatments.
Installation
below ground:
Baits stations
are put below ground by enticing termites to feed on wooden stakes,
cardboard, or some other cellulose-based material. The toxicant-laced
bait can either be installed initially, or substituted after termite
activity has been found in an untreated monitoring device(the prefered
way).
Termites are not
lured to the baits or bait monitors; they encounter them by "chance"
during their random foraging activities. To increase the odds of discovery,
the stations are installed at fixed intervals around the perimeter
of the structure, and/or in suspected areas of termite activity (e.g.,
around woodpiles, stumps, moist areas, and adjacent to previous termite
damage). With persistence and patience you will find the termites
eventually foraging and feeding upon one or more of the bait installations.
Perhaps the greatest
difficulty in termite baiting is getting termites to find the bait
monitors or baits in the first place. This discovery is called a "hit"(attacked
by termites). This will vary from property to property, depending
on such factors as termite foraging intensity, time of year, moisture,
and food availability. It can be within 2 weeks or could take a year.
In temperate climates bait discovery usually will be greatest during
peak foraging periods in the spring and summer. Baiting during late-fall
and winter is generally less fruitful, although termites are occasionally
found in below ground stations when air temperatures are in the 30øF
range.
The more below
ground baits installed, the better the chances of locating termites.
Installing more stations increases the odds of encountering multiple
colonies, or weakly associated "satellite nests" of the same colony
-- any of which could be of potential risk to the structure. Planning,
patience and persistence are requisites for successfully using below-ground
termite baits. Regardless of which product is used, the homeowner
must be prepared and willing to accept the possibility of a lengthy
baiting process.
Above-ground
installation:
Termite baits
may also be installed above ground, in known areas of termite activity.
Typically, the stations are installed directly in the path of active
termite tunnels after the mud tubes have been broken. Effects tend
to be more rapid with above-ground baiting, since the procedure does
not depend upon "chance" termite encounters with the stations.
Manufacturers
recommend that above ground stations be used in conjunction with other
forms of treatment, such as in- ground baiting or traditional barrier
treatments.
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TERMITE BAIT PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET:
FIRSTLINE®
BAITING SYSTEM HEX PRO ADVANCE BAIT STATIONS
-
We carry a couple different termite bait systems.
Difference between the Advance, Hex Pro Termite Bait System and Firstline
Termite Bait Systems
- Advance Termite Bait uses a chiten inhibitor, diflubenzuron.
Chiten Inhibitors are slower acting, no chance of killing the adult foraging termites. It only kills the immature termites.
- HexPro's Shatter termite bait uses another chitin inhibitor called Hexaflumuronn
same as Recruit's Sentricon System) will also fit in Sentricon's System.
- Shatter's loose pelleted bait matrix provides for easy termite tunneling.
- Diflubenzuron (Advance) and Hexaflumuron (Shatter) is slower acting than Sulfluramid(Firstline and Terminate) , allowing time for distribution of termite bait through the entire colony.
This results in complete colony elimination.
Stomach poisons such as Sulfluramid(Firstline and Terminate) kill quickly often resulting in incomplete elimination of the termite colony.
- The Firstline system is a stomach poison and is not labeled
for pre treats and the Hex Pro is similar to the Sentricon system which
is an IGR , and is labeled for pretreats(except for the state of Florida).
-
For more info
go to: HOW
TO DO YOUR OWN TERMITE BAITING
- Mode
of action:
Uses a stomach poison, sulfluramid-based bait, with use of monitoring
stations.
- This termite bait
product is more commonly used in combination with other forms of treatment,
rather than as a "stand alone" treatment. .
- Firstline is a
baiting system that uses two types of stations. Aboveground stations
are applied directly to accessible active infestations. Inground stations
are placed in areas of known or suspected termite activity.
- The active ingredient
in Firstline is sulfluramid, a slow-acting stomach poison, incorporated
into a cellulosic matrix.
- FMC claims that
Firstline results in colony suppression, not colony elimination.
-
Firstline is not considered suitable as a replacement for conventional
termiticides in "pre-treats".
EXTERRA® BAITING
SYSTEM
For more information:
Exterra® Termite Interception and Baiting System (Ensystex):
-
Mode of action:
Uses a chitin inhibitor, IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) , with use of
monitoring stations.
- Exterra uses in
ground monitoring-baiting system. As with Sentricon, Exterra is often
used as a stand-alone treatment. The active ingredient in both products
disrupts the molting process in immature termites. The Exterra in-ground
plastic stations are brown and box-shaped (Sentricon's are green and
cylindrical).
- The active ingredient
in Exterra is an insect growth regulator (IGR), diflubenzuron . It is
a chitin synthesis inhibitor. It kills termites by inhibiting formation
of a new exoskeleton when they shed their existing exoskeleton to form
a new one. Diflubenzuron was the original chitin synthesis inhibitor
and is by far the most widely used chitin synthesis inhibitor around
the world. The chemical structure of all other chitin synthesis inhibitors
are derived from the same basic structure that diflubenzuron was derived
from. The mode of action of diflubenzuron is identical to that of hexaflumuron,
the active ingredient in the DowAgrosciences product Recruit II** which
is also a chitin synthesis inhibitor.
- Diflubenzuron
and hexaflumuron share the same basic chemical structure.
- Adult termites,
including reproductives and soldiers, are not affected directly by this
type of chemical. When termites are discovered feeding on the wood "interceptors"
or monitors in the station, diflubenzuron-treated cellulosic bait matrix
is inserted into the station's central cavity.
- Based on Ensystex's
research data, they presume that termite colony elimination may occur
if sufficient workers are killed and the soldiers and reproductives
are not fed (and subsequently starve to death).
- With Exterra®
, the stations can be monitored or refilled with bait without disturbing
termites in the station. Disturbing the activity of the termites may
cause them to leave the area and the bait.
-
Exterra has been labeled for "pre-treats" (buildings under construction)
in place of a conventional liquid treatment.
SENTRICON®
SYSTEM
For more information:
Sentricon® Colony Elimination System
-
Mode of Action
Uses a chitin inhibitor, IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) , with use of
monitoring stations.
- This is the first
and most widely used termite bait. Hundreds of thousands of structures
have been baited with Sentricon since its introduction several years
ago.
- Sufficient independent
research trials have been conducted to confirm its effectiveness when
properly installed and diligently serviced by an authorized pest control
firm.
- Sentricon is a
monitoring-baiting system. The bait, Recruit® II contains laminated
textured cellulose that is impregnated with an IGR, hexaflumuron. This
chemical interferes with termite molting. Inground stations are deployed
around a structure at specific intervals. An aboveground station, Recruit®
AG, is used in conjunction with the inground stations when termites
are directly accessible within the structure.
- Termite control
with the Sentricon System ® is a 3-step process: (1) initial monitoring
to "pinpoint" termite activity, (2) delivery of the bait, and (3) subsequent
monitoring to provide on-going protection .
- Sentricon
is labeled for "pre-treats" in place of a conventional liquid treatment.
HEX PRO ®
SYSTEM
HexPro® Termite Baiting System
The Hex-Pro™ Termite Baiting System uses minimal termite bait to control the termite colony. This system includes an active ingredient that’s been proven reliable through 10 years of in-field testing.
The active ingredient is hexaflumuron,
an insect growth regulator (IGR) that stops the termites’
vital molting process so they are unable to grow. As a result, they
die. Hexaflumuron has demonstrated 10 years of in-field success killing,
controlling and eliminating termites.
- Hex Pro
is labeled for "pre-treats" in place of a conventional liquid treatment.
TERMITROL
®BAIT SYSTEM WITH® TERMARID 613
TERMITROL ®BAIT SYSTEM WITH® TERMARID 613
The Purpose of
TERM – A – RID 613™ Wood Stakes is to aid in the detection of worker
termites (termites without wings) next to a structure and to reduce
their population by feeding on the stake. If worker termites are present,
they can be detected by removing the stake from the soil and inspecting
the below soil portion for damage. Damage may include grooves or holes
in the stake surface or destruction of the stake tip. Feeding on the
stakes may kill worker termites and this may reduce the termite population
near the stake. Use of this product does not substitute for mechanical
alteration, soil treatment or foundation treatment, but is merely
a supplement to a termite monitoring and control program.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT
Disodium Octaborate
Tetrahydrate . . . 0.5% INERT INGREDIENTS . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .. . . . . 99.5%
Total………………………………………………100.0%
-
Mode of action:
This is a stomach poisoning, uses monitoring stations.
-
TERMITROL ®BAIT SYSTEM WITH TERMARID is not considered suitable as a
replacement for conventional termiticides in "pre-treats".
TERMINATE®
-
Mode of action: Uses a stomach poisoning, does not use monitoring
stations.
- In March 1998,
a "Do-It-Yourself" bait product became available to homeowners: Spectracide's
sulfluramid-based bait, Terminate®. Spectracide Terminate This do-it-yourself
termite bait is often available at home centers, hardware stores and
lumber yards. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and eight state Attorneys
General filed a complaint in U.S. District Court alleging that the advertising
claims about the product are deceptive and unsubstantiated.
- Click here for
the Associated Press Release
detailing the complaint.
- As part of a settlement
agreement , the manufacturer will be permitted to sell Terminate , but
with substantial modifications in their advertising claims. Notably,
they will no longer be able to state that use of the product alone is
effective in preventing or eliminating termite infestation or damage
to homes. The manufacturer can advertise that the product "kills termites,"
but they must also state that Terminate is not recommended as sole protection
against termites, and for active infestations, homeowners should get
a professional inspection.
-
Terminate® is not considered suitable as a replacement for conventional
termiticides in "pre-treats".
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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TERMITE
BAITS
ADVANTAGES:
- Reduction in termite
population
- Even where soil
treatments have been effective, baiting provides an additional measure
of prevention and monitoring.
- Baiting requires
fewer disruptions than does conventional barrier treatment, since the
bait stations are generally outside.
- Baiting is environmentally-friendly
compared with soil trenching with liquid termiticides.
-
Termite colony
monitoring and baiting can be used as a preventive measure in early
detection of termites.
- Where there is
concern about pesticide use the chemical itself or a possible runoff
into a body of water.
- The ability to
monitor the perimeter of the house can save you thousands of dollars
in damage repair.
- It will allow
termite control in those situations where the stucture is untreatable
or very difficult to treat with traditional barrier termite insecticides:
Such as:
- Buildings
with hard-to-treat construction or chronic retreatment histories
are work well with termite baits.
- Foundation
drains are drainage systems that are difficult to treat with conventional
termite chemicals
- Heating/air
condtioning ductwork is embedded in a slab floor..making it difficult
- The barrier/
liquid treatment that requires extensive drilling of slabs through
wooden, tiled or carpeted floors.
- In the event
that a liquid treatment is illegal, such as a cistern or well under
the house.
DISADVANTAGES:
- The major disadvantage
in the use of baits is the length of time it takes to eliminate a colony.
Several months may pass before the termites find the untreated, below-ground
monitoring stations and begin to feed on the bait. Although usually
minimal, some degree of termite feeding and damage may occur before
the slow-acting bait takes effect. With liquid barrier termite chemicals,
control is immediate. If you use baits, control could take several months
to a year.
- Baiting programs
are generally more expensive than conventional treatments. The complete
baiting process requires several visits to monitor for termites, and
to add or replenish baits as needed. This would add to the cost, if
you choose a pest control companay to put out your bait stations. The
service fee for the initial treatment and annual renewal fee is justified
in baiting systems, due to the monitoring required. Failure to maintain
the annual service agreement is a prescription for disaster with baits,
since there is no residual pesticide left in the soil after the termites
have been eliminated. Also, you do not own the bait stations with the
Sentricon system. Cancelling the service permits the pest control company
to remove the bait stations. Monitoring the bait stations for new evidences
of termites is what protects your structure on an ongoing basis.
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