The EXTERRA Termite Bait System

Learn about the Exterra Termite Bait System - what are your options? Extensive field trials clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the Exterra system for termite control in US and Australia in a wide range of conditions. In some situations Exterra termite bait system is Your best option to use against a serious termite infestation.

Our Key Recommendation ... Exterra maybe Your best option

On the basis of extensive field work experience, we recommend the use of the Exterra termite baiting system in and around a building as part of an integrated termite control and monitoring program, where (1) a complete chemical soil treatment using Termidor or Premise is not practicable, or desired, and (2) where several thousand termites are likely to consume the Exterra termite bait, within 30 days.

Exterra ...designed specifically for termite colony elimination

There are several advantages with the Exterra Termite Control Baiting System... it is highly palatable to the termites, has a delayed lethal effect, is spread throughout the termite colony by the termites grooming and mutual feeding habits, and is a reliable termite colony eliminator. In addition, the termite controller can monitor by follow-up inspections exactly how much of the termite bait has been consumed by the termites, and thereby assess the likelihood of successful termite colony elimination.

Health, Safety & Environmental Concerns

The Exterra termite bait is of extremely low toxicity to you, your family, your dog or cat and the environment. In fact, the chemical used is less toxic than common table salt. The bait is placed in tamper-resistant plastic stations to guard against interference by children or pets. The use of the Exterra Termite Baiting System is often the best "stand-alone" option in environmentally sensitive situations, such as, where a termite infested building is near a waterway and a soil barrier treatment may contaminate the waterway. The Exterra System is also suitable where it is not practical or desired by the home-owner to drill expensive parquetry or floor tiles in order to apply a complete and continuous proper chemical treated soil barrier at the base of the building to prevent subterranean termite entry into the building.

How Exterra Works?

Exterra is designed for use in and around a building under attack from termites and/or as part of an ongoing monitoring plan to determine extent of localized termite activity. The aim is to successfully "collect" and bait a large number of termites in a remote Exterra bait station. The baited termites transfer the bait as food back to the central subterranean termite colony, which is eventually eliminated as a result. The potential for the termites to "find" a bait station is not yet fully understood or appreciated. Subterranean termites seek out new food sources on a random basis but we know they are often guided by environmental circumstances - such as a readily available moisture source - near an automated watering system, etc.

A Matter of Skill and Judgment

A common comment by expert termite controllers is that the building is a much bigger bait station for the termites to "find" on their random foraging expeditions for new food sources. The skill and judgment of the professional termite controller is paramount to accurately determine the likelihood of sufficient termites finding and consuming the bait. Be careful in your selection of a termite control company - read our Consumer Advice section on selecting a pest controller.

How should the Exterra System be implemented?

(1) Firstly ... a professional inspection and assessment should be carried out by a competent termite control specialist to formulate a termite control program to suit the circumstances of your property. It is important for the termite controller, if practicable, to determine the termite species, the extent of timber damage and risk of further such damage to the building. (2) Written recommendations to the property-owner should then be provided by the termite controller as to a termite control program, including exactly where the Exterra termite bait stations should be placed in and around a building in order to accumulate the maximum number of termites in the bait stations, to thereafter consume the termite bait and maximize the prospect of successful termite colony elimination. (3) Placement of the Exterra termite bait stations next to any termite activity found in or around the building during the inspection and in other likely areas of termite activity. This is where the skill and experience of the termite controller is critical. The Exterra termite bait stations are checked regularly by the termite controller for evidence of termite activity. A hand-held computer and bar code scanner is used to record and compute all the data about the Exterra termite baiting program. (4) Termites infest the Exterra termite bait stations and feed on the timber in the stations. The unique (patented) open cavity design of the Exterra termite bait station placed in the ground, allows for termite attack to be observed without disturbing the feeding termites. CONSUMER NOTE: This is a major advantage over the SENTRICON termite baiting system, in which the termites must be physically emptied from the Sentricon bait station and refilled with the bait. Some of the destructive termite species, if sufficiently disturbed, may abandon the bait station, entirely, leaving you with a false sense of security. (5) The Exterra bait is added to the termite infested station without any need to disturb the termites. The Exterra termite bait is highly palatable to termites, which readily consume the bait in preference to timber. Various field studies have shown that once termites start feeding on the bait they will stop feeding on the timbers in your home. (6) Termites feed on the bait and take it back to the central colony nest where it is spread to other termites - during their grooming and feeding of each other. Since the termites die gradually, they do not associate the colony's demise with the termite bait or the location of the stations. This usually means termite colony elimination occurs within a few months of consumption of the bait. (7) The Exterra stations can monitor termite activity and should remain in place even after the existing attack on your property has been eliminated. Your property always remains susceptible to future attack from new termite colonies or other established colonies in your area. CONSUMER NOTE: It is important in any termite control program, due to the secretive nature of termites, to have regular inspections of the building and termite monitoring stations in strategic locations around the building, in order to reduce the risk of undetected termite activity in the building.

How much does it cost?

The cost of an Exterra termite baiting program will depend on the size of the subject building, the extent of the infestation, the risk of further attack and on-going termite activity and other environmental factors.

A Word of Warning

The correct identification of a destructive termite species, inspection of a building for tell-tale signs, analysis of your circumstances and the design and implementation of an effective program for the protection of a building from termite infestations, requires expert skill and judgment based upon professional training and extensive field-work experience in termite control in a wide variety of circumstances. Do NOT attempt do-it-yourself termite control ...leave it to the experts.

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