The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System is a subterranean termite pest control product developed and manufactured by Dow AgroSciences. It was introduced in 1995 as a termite baiting system and an alternative to liquid termiticide soil barriers. It eliminates all members of the termite colony, including those of the Formosan subterranean termite colonies.
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Operation
The baiting technique employed by the Sentricon System takes advantage of termite biology and behavior. Subterranean worker termites forage for cellulose food sources 24 hours a day, ranging abroad from their underground nest, or colony, through tunnels in the soil that can range up to 300 feet or more. When worker termites find a food source, they leave a pheromone scent trail to summon nest mates. Worker termites chew and digest cellulose, and then regurgitate it to share with other termites in the colony.
A Certified Sentricon Specialist (CSS), who is trained and certified by Dow AgroSciences, installs Sentricon bait stations in the soil creating a protective perimeter around a property. CSSs provide an ongoing service to stations, even after a colony is eliminated, to prevent re-infestation by other colonies and ensure continued protection. These stations are baited with a cellulose material impregnated with noviflumuron [1], a chitin synthesis inhibitor. When foraging, worker termites find the stations, eat the bait material and then regurgitate this bait for colony nest mates to consume. Affected termites later die when they are unable to molt, but they will not be able to pinpoint where the poison is coming from. As they die, the colony is eliminated, typically over a period of months. Noviflumuron bait treatment requires less disruption of the building and surroundings than traditional methods based on creating a barrier of termiticide-treated soil around the structure to be protected, but needs to be continued indefinitely to prevent re-infestation in areas where termites are endemic.
In 2000, the Sentricon System received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, an environmental honor from the U.S. government.
Effectiveness
Sentricon is the most extensively tested of all termite control products currently on the market. Multiple independent research studies show that its bait matrix and baiting technique is an effective termite control option. Field evaluations have documented the elimination of subterranean termite activity, including that of Formosan subterranean termites, often within 3 to 6 months. Ongoing monitoring and re-baiting is a critical aspect of Sentricon’s effectiveness. Without proper oversight, re-infestation from neighboring foraging colonies can occur. However, such re-infestations have not included any members of the original colony. Long-term studies have shown that by implementing the recommended service frequency, approximately 60% of the colonies are eliminated during the first quarter, approximately 75% of the colonies are eliminated after the second quarter, nearly all colonies are eliminated within a year of the initial baiting and all colonies are ultimately eliminated.