Are Termite Bait Stations The Right Choice For Me?

In the spring, homeowners may discover they have termites. Signs of infestation are mud tubes on basement walls or dark-bodied winged insects swarming inside the house.

Should I use a Termite Bait Station System?

There are termite control products on the market today called "termite baits." Bait stations consist of plastic sleeves which are put in the ground around the house. Inside the sleeves are wood, paper, or cardboard that act as monitors for foraging worker termites. When workers "hit" a station the monitor is replaced by a pesticide in a matrix that is attractive to workers. Workers think it is food! These pesticides are called baits.

Why are they called Termite Baiting Systems?

These products are called "termite baiting," because when workers find food, they often return to the colony to "tell" colony members about the food source. The message "FOOD! THIS WAY!" is delivered through a chemical that the workers lay down on their trail from the food source to the colony. Other workers "smell" the trail and follow it to the food source.

Pesticides in Termite Bait Stations

Pesticides used in bait stations fall into two classes of chemicals: insect growth regulators (IGR’s) and slow release toxicants. IGR’s are hormones specific to insects. The IGR’s in termite baits prevent termites from making new exoskeletons. The IGR’s are called chitin synthesis inhibitors. If a termite can not make a new exoskeleton, it will die. When slow release toxin systems are used, worker termites eat some of the active ingredient, return to the colony, and then die some distance from the bait station. The rest of the colony workers don’t associate the death of fellow workers with the bait, so they continue to feed at the station. Hopefully both methods will lead to the same conclusion, colony elimination and no more termites.

Termite Bait Systems are similar in the way they look and operate.

Stations are are placed in the ground at pre-determined intervals (see product label) to monitor termite activity and when the activity is discovered an active ingredient is added to the station to help eradicate the colony of sub-terranean termites.

Brand Differences

• The active ingredient is usually the biggest difference and how it works on termites.
• How close the stations are spaced to each other, spacing suggestions may vary.
• Inspection intervals, small stations are checked every 30 days, larger stations are checked every 90 days.
• How long it takes the brand's active ingredient to kill termites,
• and the cost of replacement bait and installation.

Pros

Termite baits have made it possible to treat homes that were previously untreatable for one reason or another

• Homes with basement construction,
• Homes built too low to the ground to liquid treat properly,
• Homes with a synthetic stucco covering,
• Homes that have lots of wood to ground contact.

Termite Bait Systems continue to be the choice of those folks that don't want holes drilled into their homes and/or want any pesticides used until termites are detected and then only in a very small quantity and in a very small area.

Cons

My personal opinion is that Termite Bait Systems work slower to rid a structure of termites. Termite Bait systems are sometimes priced higher than liquid treatments because these bait stations have to be serviced as much as once a month. The labor cost and Termite Company expenses cause the annual renewal cost to be high with some annual fees topping $400 per year.

Conclusion

If you are considering having a bait system installed around your home, make sure you understand all the facts and contract limitations. The bait system is expensive to have installed and expensive to maintain. If your home has an infestation of termites, termite bait systems most always work slow. Bait Systems can easily take 6 months to one year to get rid of your termites.

Suggestion

You might consider installing and maintaining a Termite Bait System yourself. They come with complete installation directions and maintenance instructions. There's really nothing to it. The monitoring has to be done on a regular schedule and remember if you do it yourself you'll get no guaranty!