Commercial Sentricon installation in Brielle apartment building.

Challenge

Recently, Cowleys was contacted by a landlord in Brielle, NJ to install a Sentricon termite baiting system. This system stops termites dead in their tracks from reaching the building, so termite damage is avoided. This is especially important because termite damage is subtle and often remains hidden until there is either an inspection or extensive damage to the structure. In fact, with this job, there was not even a current termite problem. The owner wanted to be proactive and have the “insurance” that his property was protected against termites instead of doing nothing and hoping for the best.

Sentricon bait stations can be thought of as an underground protective moat that blocks termites and prevents costly termite damage. More technically, it is a subterranean termite colony elimination system that takes advantage of termite biology and behavior. The bait stations contain cellulose treated with an insect growth regular (IGR) that prevents molting. The worker termites carry the tainted bait back to the colony to share it with everyone. The termites, unable to molt, soon die. Soon, the colony is eliminated. It is an amazingly effective system and the go-to alternative to liquid termiticide soil barriers. 

Solution

This apartment building was one of my larger installation projects. The effectiveness of the baiting system depends on proper installation. There must be full coverage so there are no weak links. The objective is to properly space the units around the structure at recommended ten foot intervals of separation. This job required installation of 40 bait stations drilling holes in the soil with an auger to fully cover the building — no matter which direction the termites were coming. After the holes are drilled, it is important to ensure that the bait stations are sufficiently below grass level so that the baiting units won't be damaged during landscaping, especially when the the soil is aerated.