Frequently Asked Questions about Sentricon

The following Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions about Sentricon should answer any questions you may have, but if not, please contact us and we'll be glad to answer them.

Question: How do I know if I have a termite problem?

Answer: Have an authorized pest control professional inspect your home for evidence of termites, like wood damage and mud tubes. Be sure to indicate if you see swarming termites or discarded wings near doors and windows.

Question: What is in Recruit* IV termite bait that eliminates termite colonies?

Answer: The active ingredient in the bait is noviflumuron, an insect growth regulator (IGR). The IGR stops the termites' vital molting process, so they are unable to grow. As a result, they die.

Question: What if my house is already infested with subterranean termites?

Answer: The Sentricon System will be installed to eliminate the termite colony currently attacking your home and stay in place to monitor against the long-term threat of growing termite colonies. If infestation is so great that termite mud tubes are visible inside the house or recent termite damage is close to the surface, Recruit* AG termite bait may be used. Recruit AG makes the termite bait immediately accessable to termites foraging inside the house. Together, in-ground Sentricon stations and aboveground Recruit AG stations will reach more termites, more quickly.

Question: How long does it take to eliminate the colony?

Answer: Once the Sentricon System is installed, it can take just a few weeks for termites to enter the stations, depending on several factors including time of year, termite pressure and termite species. Once the termites are transferred to Baitube* devices and begin feeding on Recruit IV termite bait, the process of decline toward colony elimination can begin. Colonies may begin to decline as quickly as four weeks after this transfer, with elimination of the entire colony possible within three months. It's important to remember that the termites' natural behavior, upon which the Sentricon System depends, varies with the factors mentioned above, so the time and effort needed to achieve colony elimination may vary as well.

Question: Is Sentricon effective against the kind of termites I have?

Answer: Recruit II termite bait used in the Sentricon System is effective against all economically important subterranean (not drywood) termite species in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. It does the job in varying soil, climate and geographic conditions.

Question: Why don't the termites just go between the stations to reach my house?

Answer: Termites continuously search for new feeding sites, even though they may have already located an abundant food source. Termites also feed randomly among all available food sites within their foraging are area. Therefore, if termites are foraging near your home, they will find and attack the monitoring devices in one or more of the stations.

Question: If my neighbors use the Sentricon System, won't my house be protected, too?

Answer: No. Sentricon can only protect structures where it's installed. It's possible that there are many colonies foraging in your neighborhood and on your property. The one that's attacking your home may not be the one attacking your neighbor's home.

Question: When the colony has been eliminated, will the stations be removed?

Answer: Once a colony has been eliminated, another one could invade your property. To keep your home protected, the Sentricon stations are left in the ground and your pest control professional continues to monitor them for future invasions.

Question: What if the colony is right beneath my house?

Answer: Even when termites have found a food source in your house, they are constantly looking for more food elsewhere and their range typically extends beyond the house. Sentricon stations are an easy target for foraging termites, because they're in the soil where subterranean termites live and forage.

*Trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC.

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