Innovation is at the heart of the Sentricon^® system. Over 25 years, every single component of the system has evolved with industry research and consumer needs to ensure total colony elimination. That includes the bait itself.

Before noviflumuron, the bait we use today, there was hexaflumuron. Why does that matter? Because hexaflumuron was key in making the Sentricon system a game changer in combating termite colonies.

How it all began
For much of the 20th century, subterranean termite treatments involved liquid insecticide applications around and beneath the exterior of a building. But liquid insecticides had some challenges:

• The treatment wasn’t always successful. Gaps or missed spots could leave some areas unprotected, allowing termites to get through. Not to mention, the liquid insecticides tended to break down over time.
• The treatment was intrusive, requiring trenching around the structure, as well as drilling through concrete where necessary.

Enter the age of science-backed termite management
The chemistry for hexaflumuron was discovered in 1981 for agricultural application.

Dr. Nan-Yao Su, a University of Florida entomology professor, had been studying termites for years when he discovered and developed the self-recruitment process of termites in 1987. Knowing that termites leave pheromone trails that lead other workers back to food sources, Dr. Su began to test bait compounds in search of the best candidate for termite bait. In 1989, lab tests proved hexaflumuron to be just that.

Why it’s so effective
Hexaflumuron brought with it science-backed termite management and proven colony elimination. It’s effective because:

• It uses self-recruitment against termites. Termite workers leave pheromone trails that lead back to the bait, so more foragers continue to feed and bring it back to the colony.
• It disrupts the termite molting process. Hexaflumuron is an insect growth regulator that stops termites from molting. When termites can’t molt, they die.
• It’s slow acting and undetectable by termites. Foraging termites feed and carry the bait back to the nest to share, delivering a lethal dose to the colony. Because foraging workers feed the rest of the colony, when they die off, the colony starves and dies, including the queen.
• It’s an environmentally friendly termite treatment. Because hexaflumuron is an insect growth regulator, it is harmless to people and pets. Plus, it doesn’t take a lot of the active ingredient to be effective. The in-ground and tamper-resistant bait stations also keep everyone safe … well, except the termites.

Commitment to innovation
While hexaflumuron is what made the Sentricon^® system a reality, we haven’t stop innovating since then. Hexaflumuron has since been replaced with the active ingredient noviflumuron, creating an even more effective bait that provides nonstop property protection.