Termite Traps: Stop Termites from Taking Over
- Termite traps can be an effective pest control method for getting rid of termite infestations.
Termite traps are one of the most effective methods for ridding a home or business from termites. Traps, which are also known as termite bait, work in a different way than any type of topical application. Rather than killing the termite on contact, the bait is actually taken back to the colony by the worker termites (those you may see). This helps to kill off the entire colony. In most cases, when termite traps are used properly, they can be more effective than some forms of sprays.
How Termite Traps Work
If you have called a professional to handle your termite problem, they may have installed termite bait systems around your home at various locations. These bait systems often look like plastic tubes with a stake of wood within them. The wood may start out with no chemicals or pesticides in it. After a short period of time, the professional will come back to inspect the termite traps. If there is evidence that termites are present, they will replace the wooden stake with wood that has a special form of pesticide in it.
Pesticides for termites are not typical pest products—they are slow-reacting pesticides. The termite bait is designed not to kill the termites right away; instead, it’s intended to be enticing for the worker termites, so they take it back to the colony and, well, we know the end result: destruction.
There are several insect growth regulators on the market that are effective termite bait systems. Here’s an idea of how they work:
- The wood that is coated with the specific pesticide is placed in termite traps around the home.
- The worker termites nibble the termite bait and then take it back to the colony.
- The chemicals make it difficult for the termites to grow to full maturity. Some termite traps actually kill the termites, while others just stop the colony from producing more termites.
- Most products work by affecting the termites’ nervous systems, stopping them from developing or acting normal.
- The colony in total is affected, which leads to the death of all termites.
There are good and bad aspects of using termite traps as a treatment for your pests. While they are effective, termite traps are more expensive than traditional liquid applications, and they can take longer to work. Nonetheless, because they kill the entire colony, they are often considered a more effective option. Termite traps may be just what you need to kill off the pests invading your home.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I have had several traps go off around my house. I am on a concrete slab. Do I have to put new traps in, now that these others have gone off?