Termite Bait Stations

The science behind the program.

iStock | Cheng_Wei

iStock | Cheng_Wei

Editor’s Note: The following article was adapted from Techletter, with permission from Pinto & Associates

In termite baiting, subterranean termites feed on a material, usually cardboard, wood or a wood product that has been treated with a slow-acting toxicant (poison). Besides feeding on the bait themselves, the worker termites also pass the toxicant on to their nest mates. The toxicant causes a gradual decline in termite numbers. Ultimately many worker termites dies and the termite colony declines (suppression) until, in some cases, the queen and the colony die off (colony elimination).

The actual termite bait is made up of a nontoxic food attractive to termites that is mixed with either (1) an insect growth regulator, (2) a slow-acting metabolic inhibitor (which interferes with the termites' ability to get energy from food), or (3) a fungus or bacterium. Experts disagree on which type of active ingredient is most effective in a bait. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

There are in-ground termite bait stations and above-ground bait stations (for both exterior and interior use). In-ground bait stations are installed at regular intervals around a structure or near sites that are at high risk of termite attack. Experts disagree over whether termites are "attracted" to bait stations (by temperature or moisture differentials) or that they simply "stumble" upon the bait stations during their regular foraging activity as they randomly search for food.

Above-ground stations are designed to be placed directly against accessible termite mud tubes, either indoors or out. The advantage to above-ground stations is that termites don't have to search to find the bait. These bait stations can be used in conjunction with in-ground stations or with traditional treatment.

Termite baiting must be approached with a different philosophy than traditional treatment. Results are not as clear cut as with soil treatment. The termites can feed on your monitors, then ignore them once you install bait. Or, they forage for awhile at one spot then move fifty feet away. They may return months later when environmental conditions change, or for whatever strange reasons termites have. Their behavior is hard to predict and influence.

Each bait job is different. What works well in Florida may prove less effective in Maryland. Differences in geography, climate, termite species, season, structure, soil and termite baits makes one-size-fits-all bait programs an impossible dream. And each bait job tends to evolve through time as local conditions and the seasons change. Because of all this variability, you need to be creative and adaptable when controlling termites with bait.

The authors are co-owners of Pinto & Associates.