Getting to the Core of Termite Protection

Installation of the Sentricon^® System can vary depending on your customers’ properties, the tools your business has available or even your business model. While most stations are installed in grass or landscaping, some must be placed in concrete, asphalt or brick to ensure full coverage around a structure. When done correctly, you can increase efficiency, saving your business time and money in the long run.

“When observing a commercial property or one with significant amounts of concrete, don’t immediately assume you must core the concrete,” says J.R. Lofton, senior sales representative for Sentricon. “Look around. You might be surprised at the alternatives, such as tree wells, planter beds or other small areas of exposed soil where you can place a station.”

“However in some situations coring is necessary. Done correctly, it provides very effective results.”
Coring makes Sentricon stations barely visible.

Also remember, with all installations of the Sentricon System, always make sure the stations contact the soil.

“Never place a dangling station in the hole,” Lofton says. “Soil must surround the station to be effective.”

Notable properties done using coring jobs include Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall and the Franklin Printing Press in Philadelphia, as well as Canal Street and Jackson Square in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Tips for Successful Coring

Locate and mark all underground electrical, communication and utility lines.
Paint drilling locations every 12 to 18 feet apart, or 10 to 12 feet apart in the infested areas. (Note: 10-foot coring is appropriate in high-pressure termite areas, especially Formosan termite areas.)
Use a wet core drill, designed for coring either concrete or asphalt.
Drill 3-inch diameter holes until contact is made with the soil.
After the holes are drilled, use a hand or power auger to remove enough soil for the station. If the concrete is too deep, or the soil is too low, add enough soil to surround the station.
Install the station 2 ½ to 3 inches below the concrete surface. Cover the station with a water-resistant metal cap (developed by the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board).