Termite Control Options: Baits vs Barriers?
by Barb Ogg, PhD, Extension Educator

Some pest control companies are offering termite baits as a method of control.

Homeowners are trying to decide whether to have their homes treated with baits or the more traditional barrier treatments. This article will provide information about bait treatments so homeowners can make a more intelligent decision about control options.

One word of caution: these treatments are still relatively new, and there is a lot that we don't know about the effectiveness of these bait treatments especially in the northern latitudes.

The approach to using a bait treatment is quite different from the traditional chemical barrier treatment. A chemical barrier does not adversely affect the termite colony; it protects the house because termite workers cannot cross the barrier to get into your house. This treatment requires skill on the part of the pest control technician to insure a complete barrier.

The approach to using a bait is to introduce enough of the bait into the colony so that it adversely affects (i.e., poisons) the colony. This is done by placing the bait in the soil around the structure or inside the structure to be protected. Properly installing bait stations and follow-up procedures also requires a trained pest control technician.

1. Sentricon™. The first bait product that was registered was the Sentricon™ System, produced by Dow Agro Sciences. The active ingredient used by this baiting system is hexaflumuron, an insect growth regulator. Because the IGR stops the immature termites' vital molting process, they are unable to grow and they die. With no young workers to replace old ones, eventually the colony will starve to death. Dow touts this product as a "Colony Elimination System."

2. Another product sold commercially is called FirstLine™, manufactured by FMC Corporation. The active ingredient, sulfluramid, is not an insect growth regulator, but a slow acting respiration inhibitor. FMC does not claim that FirstLine kills the colony but suggests that FirstLine is a "Population Suppression" system.

3. Terminate™ is a termite bait product sold to homeowners over-the-counter in discount and garden stores. The active ingredient is identical to the FirstLine™ product. Compared with a professional pest control treatment, this product is cheap. However, buyers should beware. The formulation has not been tested by university researchers to determine how well it works when applied according to label directions. One thing is for sure. If you do decide to use this over-the-counter bait, do not become complacent and think that your termite problem is solved.

There are several considerations that people should understand before they decide to use a bait treatment:

1. The toxic bait cannot be introduced into the colony until the termites find the bait stations. It can take several months to a year or longer for termites to find bait stations. Some people are uneasy about the uncertainty of control using baits.

2. If termites are already feeding in the house, they can continue to do damage before other workers find the bait stations. It may become necessary for the pest control company to use a spot chemical treatment to prevent further damage to your home.

3. A sufficient dosage of the toxicant must be introduced into the colony to have any affect on it. Because a healthy termite colony sends workers to forage on many sources of wood, it may be difficult to get enough of the bait into the colony. The more bait stations used, the more likely termites will find them resulting in more toxicant taken into the colony. Products that contain insect growth regulators may be more effective because of the minute amounts needed to affect termite development.

4. Bait stations placed in the soil cannot be found by termites during winter in Nebraska. Because of this, it may not make much sense to start a baiting program in October or November. It would be smarter to wait until March or April.

Baits or Barriers? What treatment you choose depends on your situation.

• Buildings that have a history of chronic reinfestation or have structural anomalies that interfere with the successful implementation of a conventional insecticide barrier might be good candidates for a bait treatment.

• Homeowners who are strongly opposed to having floors drilled or who are strongly opposed to the use of pesticides might be happier with a bait treatment. Although the use of conventional chemical barrier treatment poses no significant hazard to humans, pets or the environment, some individuals are still apprehensive about the chemical barrier approach.

• Homeowners on limited budgets may find the cost of conventional barrier treatments less expensive than the bait treatment.

• Homeowners with a serious termite infestation or involved in a real estate transaction may be better candidates for a termiticide barrier.

• People living in attached housing like condos or townhouses where the entire structure cannot be treated might be smarter to choose an insecticide barrier. Even though there is an over-the-counter bait product available, our current recommendation is that homeowners who have a termite problem should work with a competent pest control professional. updated April 19, 2001

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