Termite monitoring systems are a very common termite prevention tool for homeowners. They can give long-lasting protection from termites when combined with other termite risk management.
The short story: timber-only systems are cheaper and attract a wider variety of termite species. However, pre-baited systems require less maintenance, are more forgiving, and are more effective at killing termite colonies.
Commercial termite monitoring systems have been around since the 90s. Until the last few years, just timber-only products were available. However, in the last few years, a couple of new players on the market have come out. So, pre-baited systems are becoming more common.
What is a Termite Monitoring System?
This type of termite prevention is an alternative to chemical soil treatments, which are a more traditional type of termite management.
Termite monitoring systems involve installing ‘traps’ in the soil around the outside of a building. High-risk areas such as trees and retaining walls are also good areas to place stations. You check the stations regularly and then add termite bait when you find termites in the stations.
You must check the stations frequently because termites could use them as a stepping stone to the house if left unchecked.
The Difference Between Timber-Only and Pre-Baited Termite Monitoring Systems
Timber-only products don’t contain bait. They contain wood that local termite species find attractive. So, bait is added only when termites are found in the stations. These products include Exterra, Nemesis, Exterminex, Termatrix, Demise, Termite Mansion, Termigold, and others.
Pre-baited termite monitoring systems are much more recent. The first pre-baited system was Sentricon AlwaysActive, brought to Australia in 2018. Trelona ATBS followed afterwards in 2020. They both contain a compressed cellulose bait from the start, including an ingredient that kills termites. The bait is always present in the station.
Pros and Cons of Timber-Only Termite Monitoring Systems
Timber-only termite monitoring systems are ‘tried-and-true’. They’ve been around a long time and have a good track record if installed and maintained properly. The benefits of timber products include:
- They are cheaper to install and maintain than pre-baited products.
- Also, there is more variety in timber-only products available to consumers.
The limitations of timber-only termite monitoring systems include:
- Termites can enter the station immediately after being checked and then move on before the next check. So, you can miss an opportunity to bait them.
- This means that checks have to be more frequent.
- Adding the bait after termites are active in the station can disturb them and interrupt feeding.
- They are also more labour-intensive to service and maintain.
Pros and Cons of Pre-Baited Termite Monitoring Systems
Pre-baited termite monitoring systems are much newer to the Australian market. They result from new research into making cellulose bait stable in the soil. Benefits include:
- They are more forgiving. This is because termites that enter the stations start feeding on bait straight away. Therefore, we don’t have to catch the termites at the right time to start baiting them.
- There’s no chance of missing the termites because they start feeding immediately.
- The stations are checked less frequently than timber-only systems.
- The bait normally lasts longer in the soil than timber, which also reduces the labour required to change them.
Limitations of this type of termite monitoring system:
- They are much more expensive than timber systems. This is because compressed cellulose baits are new technology and a lot of research has gone into them.
- Compressed cellulose baits are not as palatable to some ‘higher termites’ in the Termitidae family, which prefer hardwoods.
So, Which Termite Monitoring System is Right for You?
Our local service area includes Rutherglen, Corowa, Albury, and Wodonga. In this area, Coptotermes are the most common termites that attack houses. This type of termite responds well to termite baits, and are ‘lower termites’, which have broader feeding preferences. They take to pre-baited systems quite well.
So, ideally, a pre-baited system is the best option in our local area. We use the Trelona ATBS system because the quality of the plastic and the locking mechanism is high. But both Trelona and Sentricon are good options. They give you more peace of mind, as they are working to eliminate termite colonies between checks.
If you are more budget-conscious, then consider a timber-only system. They require checking much more often and the labour is high, but the initial cost is much cheaper.
Further Reading:
- Building a new home? Find out about our pre-construction termite barriers.
- Not sure about the difference between white ants and black ants? Chris explains here.
- Coptotermes – the most destructive termite species in Australia.
- Trelona ATBS Homeowner Brochure.
