Bait Technology Grows In Popularity

According to a recent PCT readership study, slightly more than 50% of PCOs involved in the termite market use baits either alone or in combination with liquid termiticides to control termites, illustrating the growing popularity of this important new product category. While the bulk of the bait business continues to be in the "termite belt," PCOs throughout the United States are apparently embracing termite baits in growing numbers. When combined with the expanding market presence of Premise Insecticide, it’s obvious to most industry observers that there’s been a fairly dramatic resurgence in the termite market in recent years, due largely to technological innovation.

"Several years ago, I was ready to get completely out of the termite business with the liquid products that were available," said Bobby Jenkins, president of ABC Pest Control, Austin, Texas. "I had a hard time being able to look a customer in the eye and definitely tell them I was going to be able to solve their termite problem. That changed with the introduction of baits. I’m very optimistic about the (future of) baits."

Other PCOs are choosing "combination treatments" to solve their termite problems, eliminating wood-to-soil contacts, treating the soil where termites are active and using baits to knock down the population. "I think it’s important to use an integrated approach as opposed to one bullet," said one well-known PCO with extensive experience in the termite belt.

Bert Putterman, manager of Arizona Exterminating in Phoenix, agreed. "Everyone would like to have a magic bullet," he said. "And to a certain extent baits have become that silver bullet, but I’d like to see a more integrated approach to termite control."

The comments of these and other pest management profes-

sionals were made during a 90-minute focus group meeting sponsored by American Cyanamid Co. that was held in conjunction with the National Pest Control Association Convention in Nashville, Tenn. The company plans to introduce a new termiticide featuring the active ingredient chlorfenapyr later this year.

PROMISING RESULTS. Currently, the most widely used termite bait is the Sentricon Colony Elimination System from Dow AgroSciences, followed by FirstLine GT from FMC Corporation. A third player, Ensystex’s Exterra Termite Baiting System, is also making inroads into the marketplace as more and more PCOs are examining the pros and cons of baits.

While baits continue to grow in popularity, Dr. Michael Potter, professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, cautioned PCOs not to become overly enamored with this new technology. "I’ve heard people make predictions that in five years there will be companies that have no one on staff who will know how to do a conventional termite treatment," he said. "All they’ll know how to do is bait. Another paradigm shift may occur when a liquid termiticide manufacturer generates data showing that their active ingredient can provide acceptable protection and control primarily by trenching and rodding around the exterior of a structure, without having to pull back carpets, drill floors and treat every linear foot of perimeter expansion joint.

"In other words, some products may ultimately have enough of a lethal effect on termites wandering in and out of that non-repellent zone that you end up with the same net effect as a bait without having to go back month after month after month to check the bait stations," Potter added. "I don’t think bait users particularly enjoy going back to their accounts to re-inspect each month if they don’t have to.

"It may be that manufacturers will have to come up with simpler and less intrusive ways to use liquid products, supported by adequate data, to really take back the bait market share, which is getting bigger and bigger," he said.