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Commercial termite bait products

Various commercial termite bait systems are offered on the market with most of them used only by pest control companies and some available for direct homeowner use. Here we give a short review of several most widely used termite bait products.

SENTRICON®

The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System was developed by Dow Agro Sciences (Indianapolis, IN), and is sold only through authorized pest control firms. The bait contains a slow-acting ingredient which disrupts the normal growth process in termites (i.e., termites die while attempting to molt). Termite control with the Sentricon System ® entails a 3-step process:

Step 1. Monitoring- Termites are detected by installing plastic monitoring stations around the perimeter of the building. Stations are installed at about 10 to 20 foot intervals alongside the foundation. Additional stations are installed in suspected termite foraging areas, such as near pre-existing termite damage, stumps, woodpiles, or moist areas on the property
Step 2. Bait Delivery- When termites are found in a monitoring station, the untreated wood is replaced with a perforated plastic tube containing bait laced with a slow-acting termite growth inhibitor (noviflumuron). Inspection of all Sentricon stations, with and without substituted bait tubes, continues until no more live termites are discovered. Empty, moldy or degraded baits are replaced and additional stations added as deemed necessary.
Step 3. Continued Monitoring to provide ongoing protection of the structure

FIRSTLINE®

FirstLine® is another bait product option, manufactured by FMC Corporation (Philadelphia, PA). FirstLine bait stations have a somewhat different appearance than Sentricon’s, and the corrugated cardboard food source contains sulfluramid, a compound that interferes with the termites' ability to derive energy from food. Most pest control companies using FirstLine also perform a partial or full liquid treatment. There is uncertainty as to whether the bait or the supplemental liquid application is having the greater impact on the termite infestation.

EXTERRA™

Another product used by some companies is the Exterra™ Termite Interception and Baiting System (Ensystex, Inc., Fayetteville, NC). The bait used in Exterra contains diflubenzuron, a termite growth regulating agent in the same chemical group as Sentricon's active ingredient, noviflumuron. Both compounds are chitin synthesis inhibitors and kill by disrupting the termite molting process. Exterra is marketed as a stand-alone baiting system with no supplemental liquid treatment required.

SUBTERFUGE®

Subterfuge is relatively new termite bait manufactured by BASF Corporation (Research Triangle Park, NC). The active ingredient, hydramethylnon, affects termites in a manner similar to sulfluramid. Unlike other systems on the market, no wooden monitors are used prior to installing the baits, which are inserted from the outset. There have been few published studies evaluating the bait's effectiveness.

ADVANCE™TERMITE BAIT SYSTEM This new bait system employs the same active ingredient (diflubenzuron) found in Exterra. Installation and servicing intervals are similar. Advance and Exterra both have station designs that reportedly allow termites to transition more readily into the bait after initially feeding on wood monitors. Independent evaluations of the bait's effectiveness are still rather limited.

SPECTRACIDE TERMINATE™

This bait product, sold in retail stores, is marketed specifically for use by homeowners. The Terminate™ Termite Home Defense System consists of small, 4 by 1-inch hollow plastic stakes provisioned with sulfluramid-treated cardboard. The baits are installed at various locations around the outside of the home and inspected periodically by the property owner. The treatment cost for a box of Terminate bait stakes (under $100) is tempting, considering that a professional treatment using bait or liquid can cost well over $1000. There are issues pertaining to use of Terminate, however, and it is questionable whether it will protect a home from termite attack.

Even if the termite colony threatening the structure has been eliminated, termites from neighboring colonies can reinvade the area. Reinfestation can also occur if only part of the original colony or colonies was eliminated. Consequently, structures protected with bait products and systems will need to be continually inspected, monitored and maintained to guard against reinvasion from new colonies or previously suppressed ones. Once the termite population has been eliminated, the pest control firm will continue to monitor at three- to four- month intervals for an indefinite period.

This review is based on „Termite baits: a guide for homeowners“ by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist at University of Kentucky College of Agriculture .