How do termite bait stations work and are they safe?
Termite bait stations have many advantages, and some of them are the following:
- They are safe for children and common pets, as they can not reach them
- Easy to use
- Long-lasting
- Effective, especially in combination with other extermination solutions
- They will not impact your lawn or any place where they are installed
- Suitable for all kinds of structures, even the ones that can not be treated using other available methods
What is the best termite bait system?
Sentricon is believed to be the most tested termite bait system in the modern market. Furthermore, today Sentricon is selected as one of the most effective termite bait systems. The system was created by Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN). Sentricon is able to perform all three basic stages: monitoring, bait delivery and continued monitoring.
Do termite baits work for subterranean termites?
effective termite baitsare now available to monitor and eliminate subterranean termite colonies. Baits consist of some type of cellulose, which is the part of wood that termites need, that is laced with insecticide or insect growth regulator. Baiting
Do subterranean termite bait stations work?
Yes, subterranean termites can and do infest trees from time to time. Subterranean termite control bait stations are a bit controversial amongst termite control operators because these are products that create a perpetual need for maintenance service. If you don´t keep bait stations filled with product, termites will go into your home.
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How far should termite bait stations be from the house?
Placement is usually about 1-2 feet from the foundation in order to avoid soil that may have been treated previously with another termiticide. Patios, driveways, and other paved surfaces are not problems unless access for installation of stations is prevented around the majority of the structure.
How do termites find bait stations?
It is important to realize that the current bait delivery systems (the bait stations) and their contents do not “attract” termites. Termites find the stations during their normal foraging (food “hunting”) activities, just as they might find any other underground food source, such as the roots of tree stump.
How many termite bait stations do I need?
For best results, the termite bait stations should be placed 10 feet apart around the house. The instructions say they can be placed as far as 20 feet apart, but most termite companies place them 10 feet apart which is the recommended distance in the pest control industry.
How effective are termite bait stations?
No chemical termite treatment, whether it's a liquid or a bait system, is going to be 100% effective every time. If there is termite activity in your crawlspace or basement and it's ignored for many years, you could end up with serious damage.
How often should you change termite bait stations?
Answer: You should clean out all of the Advance Termite Bait Stations completely and replace the wood base at least every 12 months, or once a year. Depending on where you live and the climate and amount of rain, you may need to replace the wood base more often.
How often should termite baits be checked?
every 3 monthsAccording to a recent survey, the particular termite bait stations should be monitored every 3 months. Timing for every inspection is very important. If you miss the opportunity to expose termites to the bait when they do maximum damage then you have to abandon the stations and the process will fail.
Is it better to spray or bait for termites?
The best defense against termites is a combination of liquid barriers and bait traps. The bait traps work to destroy the colony, while the liquid barrier will prevent new termites from reaching your home in the meantime.
Where is the best place to put bait stations?
Put bait boxes near rodent burrows, against walls or along travel routes used by the pests. Rodents usually will not go out of their way to find baits. House mice seldom venture more than a few feet from their nests or food sources, so place bait stations no more than 10 or 12 feet apart in areas where mice are active.
Do other bugs eat termite bait?
Because of the strength, certain termite treatments have been known to affect pests or insects other than termites. Liquid termite treatments and bait stations contain a strong formula that is very successful in killing off termites. In some instances, they can also kill off other pests, including ants and beetles.
How long do bait stations take to work termites?
Again, it generally takes a few months for the termites to find the stations and feed on them. Termite baiting is a slow process, you can't speed it up. Most subterranean termite feeding occurs in the first 8 - 12 inches of soil. When the soil down to a depth of about 12 inches is 50f or higher, termites will feed.
How long does termite bait stations last?
one yearOn average, termite treatment lasts about 5 years. Liquid termite treatment can last five years or more, whereas termite bait stations only last one year and need to be maintained annually.
How long does it take for termite baits to work?
When applied by a professional, termites typically start dying off within a day or two. However, due to the severity of the infestation, it can take a little longer for the treatment to reach the queen and fully kill the colony.
How long do bait stations take to work termites?
Again, it generally takes a few months for the termites to find the stations and feed on them. Termite baiting is a slow process, you can't speed it up. Most subterranean termite feeding occurs in the first 8 - 12 inches of soil. When the soil down to a depth of about 12 inches is 50f or higher, termites will feed.
Are termite bait stations preventative?
Termite Bait & Monitoring Systems Termite bait systems (also known as termite baiting systems) can be used as a home's sole prevention and control method, or in conjunction with liquid soil treatments to control known termite colonies.
What does it mean when termite bait pops up?
A: When you stake pops up that should be an indication termites have eaten the core bait, thus releasing the popper. You need to pull your stakes up out of the ground and verify the tube has termite activity within.
How long does termite bait stations last?
one yearOn average, termite treatment lasts about 5 years. Liquid termite treatment can last five years or more, whereas termite bait stations only last one year and need to be maintained annually.
Termite Bait & Monitoring Systems
Termite baits have been used to help control subterranean termite infestations for decades. Termite bait systems (also known as termite baiting systems) can be used as a home’s sole prevention and control method, or in conjunction with liquid soil treatments to control known termite colonies.
How Do Termite Bait Stations Work?
When installed and monitored properly, bait stations can control subterranean termite colonies.
Termite Bait System Benefits
Early detection stations can be used without chemicals to test for the presence of termites.
Above Ground Termite Bait
The most common subterranean termite bait systems are underground bait systems. However, above ground termite baiting systems can be effective when installed by termite experts in areas with known subterranean termite activity.
How does bait kill termites?
Termite baits consist of cellulose (a structural component of wood), combined with a slow-acting insecticide which disrupts the normal growth process in termites. Within weeks of ingesting the bait, termites die while attempting to molt. The delayed action is important; if the bait killed quickly, sick or dead termites might accumulate near stations, increasing the chance of avoidance by other termites in the area. Delayed-action also enhances transmission of the lethal ingredient to nest mates, including those that never fed on the bait. Entire colonies can be eliminated in this manner, although colony elimination is not always necessary to afford structural protection.
What is termite baiting?
With baits, small amounts of product are deployed like edible ‘smart missiles’ to knock out populations of termites foraging in and around the home. Termites consume the bait and share it with their nest mates, resulting in a gradual decline in termite numbers. A comprehensive baiting program then seeks to maintain a termite-free condition on the customer's property through ongoing inspection, monitoring and re-baiting as needed.
What is bait station housing?
The bait station housing is a hollow plastic cylinder with slits along the sides for termites to enter. Termites tunnel through and out of the perforated tube, reuniting with their nest mates in the soil. In doing so, they leave behind a colony-specific scent that promotes recruitment of other termites to the station.
Why is delayed action important?
The delayed action is important; if the bait killed quickly, sick or dead termites might accumulate near stations, increasing the chance of avoidance by other termites in the area. Delayed-action also enhances transmission of the lethal ingredient to nest mates, including those that never fed on the bait.
How to control termites in a house?
The traditional approach to controlling subterranean termites was to apply a liquid pesticide, known as a ‘termiticide,’ under and around the building . The purpose was to provide a long-lasting chemical ‘barrier’ in the soil to prevent termites from entering and infesting the structure. Foraging individuals attempting to penetrate treated soil were either killed or repelled while those already inside ultimately succumbed as well.
How do termites live?
Subterranean termites, the variety common to Kentucky and most other states, live below ground in cooperative, intermingling colonies. The colonies are decentralized entities occupying multiple nesting and feeding sites, interconnected by underground tunnels. Termite colonies can be quite large, consisting of hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals occupying areas of up to half an acre. Smaller colonies may contain fewer individuals, with a foraging footprint no bigger than a bedroom. In some cases, larger but fewer colonies may be present; in others, individual colonies may be smaller and more numerous. In residential settings, the termite colony or colonies responsible for inflicting damage may actually be located in a neighbor's yard, rather than around or beneath the house that is infested.
How big are termite colonies?
Termite colonies can be quite large, consisting of hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals occupying areas of up to half an acre. Smaller colonies may contain fewer individuals, with a foraging footprint no bigger than a bedroom.
Why are termite baits used on split level homes?
For instance, because termite baits aren’t actually physically connected with a building or structure , they’re more commonly used on split level or pole built homes. This is due to the property being raised above the ground , where traditional barriers would be ineffective.
Why are termite traps and baiting stations so popular?
Early detection and prevention of internal infestations over longer periods of time. This is why termite traps and baiting stations are an attractive option for many home owners, as they act more as a preventative.
What is termite bait?
Termite baits do exactly what you’d imagine – their job is to attract and kill off termites. However, unlike other, more traditional forms of pest control and extermination methods – termite baiting stations are cleverly designed to work in conjunction with the natural behaviour of termites. More importantly, they’re designed to not only kill ...
What makes termite baiting systems so effective?
What makes termite baiting systems so highly effective is the fact that they’re actually part of a simple 3 step termite-killing process.
Why are termite bait stations buried?
Traps are placed this way for the following reasons. Firstly so that they’re not as to not cause any obstructions within the yard or property . Secondly, so that they’re not a visual eye sore, and most importantly of all.
What is the best timber to bait for termites?
Obviously the first part of the process is to attract any nearby termites to the baiting stations. This is achieved by placing Tasmanian Oak timber into the traps which termites consider an attractive food source. Timber has cellulose in it, which termites eat and digest – with the help of protozoa and microbes in their guts. However, some cellulose material is more attractive than others, with termites favoring Tasmanian Oak.
How to prevent termite infestation?
Termite inspections and treatments are often the most effective way of detecting and removing active termite infestations within a property, however termite baiting systems, can prevent infestations via way of early detection.
Why do termites spread bait throughout the colony?
Baits are spread throughout the colony because termites instinctively groom each other and feed each other. They will gradually spread the bait throughout the entire colony in this way. READ ALSO: Termites damage & treatment in Michigan.
What is termite bait?
Termite bait is a system that is designed to kill them in a different way than liquid treatments. Whereas a liquid treatment just tries to kill any termite that comes into contact with it or create a barrier termites cannot pass, bait systems are geared towards killing off the colony itself.
What bait system kills termites?
One of the major bait systems is Sentricon, which uses a chemical that kills termites by making them unable to molt.
Is bait better than liquid?
This can be better than liquid treatment because it is nowhere near as environmentally damaging as the older liquids – baits use very small doses of chemicals, and they are only toxic to certain kinds of insects. When compared to the hundreds of gallons of chemicals used in older treatments, it is generally just a lot safer. Also, because the bait is inside an underground station, children and animals will not have access to it. It usually completely eliminates a termite colony, while liquid treatments frequently do not kill it off entirely.
Does bait kill termites?
The bait will generally be a slow acting chemical that does not kill the termite immediately. Many systems use “insect growth regulators” which are chemicals that cause termites to have problems growing to maturity – either killing them at some stage or keeping them from ever becoming adults.
Does liquid termite kill?
It usually completely eliminates a termite colony, while liquid treatments frequently do not kill it off entirely. On the other hand, it is more expensive than most liquid pesticides and requires frequent inspection. It is also very slow to act, and can take months to kill off a colony.
Is it safe to use bait in an underground station?
Also, because the bait is inside an underground station, children and animals will not have access to it.
