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Bunnings Termite Baits… Are they of a professional standard is the question many homeowners are asking. Well while we can’t be seen to be putting another product down, at the time of writing this, we can honestly say that we would not ever attempt to protect any property from termites, at any time with the current product line.
Bunnings Termite Baits, or more accurately, the product Bunnings currently stocks as a termite bait, is simply a monitoring tool. Wedges of timber installed into the ground which are palatable food source for foraging termites. Research has shown that the most common treatment methods used for termite eradication, are simply not possible with the termite baits currently on the shelves at Bunnings. We are not going to mention the brand of the product, but we’ll give you the rundown…
Sold as a ‘…Termite Bait Systems Termite Detection-6Pack’ the product is a simple piece of timber cut into a wedge shape for easy installation into the soils around the home (simply hammer it into the ground). There are two holes drilled into the top which create ‘windows’ which are mudded up by termites when they eat their way through to the holes. A clever plastic cap seals the top.
This product has been around for at least 10 years, and I’ve seen it on site at multiple homes around NSW and Qld. They are great for monitoring the presence of termite, but for successful treatment of termite, with the aim of colony eradication, they are almost a complete waste of time and money.
Due to their simple design, they are cheap to manufacture, and have been cleverly marketed. The issue only arises when the timber wedges become active with live termites, and treatment needs to be undertaken. Now conventional termite baits are an inground station, which create a cavity, which termites enter to feed on timber inserted into the unit. When activity has been found, a termite bait matrix is added and the activity feeds on the bait matrix until certain conditions indicate that the colony is in decline. Major Professional Termite Baiting systems which use this method are Exterra, Termitrix, the original Sentricon, and the Original Termicure termite baits.
Recent advancements in the industry have seen the introduction of the Sentricon ‘Always Active’ Termiticide rod, which removes the step of having to add a bait matrix for colony eradication. The Termiticide rod provides an attractive food source to attract termites, and eradicate the colony in 1 step.
Other, less successful methods of termite colony eradication with termite baits is with the application of a termiticide liquid or foam applied to the station. The problem with this method, is that the foam rarely contacts enough termites to take out the colony.
Finally, there is termite dusting. This is the method which I believe is the most viable for the Bunnings termite baits. Dusting can be successful in certain situations, however termites produce humidity within their workings, and when those workings are inside a damp piece of timber, inserted directly into the ground, the humidity and moisture content within the workings can significantly effect the dust. The dust is fine, much like talc powered and is applied using a hand puffer. Now if you can imagine talcum poweder picking up moisture as it is blown through tiny tunnels in the ground, you’ll probably figure that it’s likely to clump, and not gain the desired travel required to gain contact with any significant number of termites. Dusting is a fine art at the best of times, and is a skill which takes years to perfect. Even then, moisture is the enemy of dust treatments which is why it is not used as often as other methods.
Please don’t misunderstand us with our assessment of this product which is stocked and offered on the Bunnings website at time of writing this. This its can be successfully used to monitor termites on your property. The point being, that if you were going to monitor them, would you not want to eradicate them as simply as you can once you found termites in them?
That’s where we come in. The Termicure ‘Active’ Packs provide all you need to monitor and eradicate termites and protect your home
If you have an issue at your home, or are curious about what options are suitable for you, then please email us at info@termicure.com.au and we’ll help you through or put you in touch with a local expert who can provide you with alternative options.
