Pest manager Steve Butcher shares his experience of using Sentricon baits to treat active termites.
Eradicating active termites has traditionally involved the use of dusts, foams, liquid and bait termiticides. However, some of these products are simply contact eradicants, which allow the colony to remain intact to invade again. They can also be messy to apply, and some homeowners and pest managers can feel uncomfortable with idea of directly applying chemicals to the home. Finding an easier, cleaner and longer-lasting alternative was in the interests of everyone involved.
Sentricon AlwaysActive is considered by many to simply be an in-ground monitoring system, something to install for peace of mind. Yet it is significantly more than that. Sentricon AlwaysActive contains a termiticide rod, which means the process of eliminating termite colonies starts from the moment of installation.
It has been two years since Sentricon AlwaysActive was first launched and the feedback from pest managers has been very positive feedback – they are seeing fantastic results from using the product on active sites, both inside and outside homes, public places and other structures.
One benefit of controlling termites using a solid termiticide rod within a station is that it can be used where dusts, foams, liquids and baits cannot. This may be due to the homeowner’s preference, an inability to access all of the areas required or being unable to find the termites’ current location within the property. This was why Trevor Martin from Millerd and Martin’s Pest Control in Gunnedah, NSW, chose Sentricon AlwaysActive:
“The owner called us out to inspect some damage to the paper on the gyprock in a few places. The house was timber on slab, cypress pine, so structurally there shouldn’t be any damage, but cosmetically termites can do a bit,” explained Mr Martin.
“There was certainly evidence of recent termite damage, but we couldn’t find the active termites; the owner may have disturbed them. In any case, when we inspected the house, we couldn’t find the nest. We couldn’t put a treatment on the house so we thought the best way to go would be to use Sentricon AlwaysActive. We got termites into the AlwaysActive almost straight away, within two months after installation.
“We replaced one rod after more than half of it had gone, and it’s been all quiet since. It’s going really well, we’re really happy with it. The owner was happy with getting results so quickly as well,” said Mr Martin.
Steve Butcher from Riverside Pest Management in Deniliquin, NSW, has also reported good results from using Sentricon AlwaysActive on active sites over the past 18 months. “All of the private sites have had active termites, they have all been controlled. We swear by Sentricon AlwaysActive,” he said.
In situations where termites can be accurately located, supplementing the Sentricon AlwaysActive in-ground system with above-ground Sentricon AG Termite Baits provides a two-pronged attack. Pest managers know that when homeowners see termite damage inside their house, they want to know that every possible measure is being taken to get the termites out and eliminate the colony.
Where multiple approaches are required, it’s critical to ensure these are complementary. Supplementing the AlwaysActive perimeter system with AG baits inside the house ensures that you’re using the same chemistry across the property.
This is the approach taken by Mark O’Brien from Termitedoc Pest Control, NSW Central Coast. “When we find active termites, we tend to knock them out with Sentricon above-ground baits and at the same time install the AlwaysActive system around the structure.
“We had a recent success in the Newcastle area where we knocked out an active colony in a cubby house with above-ground baits and installed AlwaysActive around the house perimeter. We’d been checking these for 6-7 months when we found a whole rod had been consumed near some trees. The client is very happy with the result,” said Mr O’Brien.
Sentricon AlwaysActive is a successful termite management system for active termites with the benefit of retaining the system for ongoing protection once the original termite colony has been eliminated. The termiticide is safely contained within the Sentricon IG Termiticide Rod and its use doesn’t require any damage to property. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Joanne George, Dow AgroSciences Pest Management Business Manager
