A new University of Florida study published in the December 2017 issue of Journal of Economic Entomology found that the time needed for a termite colony to feed on Recruit^® HD termite bait to eliminate the colony is shorter than originally thought. In the study, Dr. Nan-Yao Su and Dr. Thomas Chouvenc used Recruit HD termite bait from the Sentricon^® system to find out how long termites needed to consume the bait to be killed. The active ingredient in Recruit HD termite bait is noviflumuron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor.

For the study, the scientists raised termite colonies in their laboratory for more than four years and then let them feed on the Recruit HD termite bait for just one day. The bait was then removed, and termite deaths were monitored for 90 days. Within one day, termite colonies had already received a lethal dose, which was shared by trophallaxis to all individuals of the colony. The colonies died despite short exposure to noviflumuron.

“Within a month after feeding on the bait, termites became sluggish and slowed their feeding activity. Therefore, even if the termites were still alive, they would not be causing much damage,” Chouvenc says. “This study supports the use of baits for control of subterranean termite colonies, especially for aggressive species such as the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite.”

In addition to proving how Recruit HD termite bait eliminated termite colonies in less time, scientists showed that termites need only tiny amounts of the active ingredient to kill them. Just a fraction of the Recruit HD bait matrix is necessary for colony elimination. To learn more, read the PCT magazine article.

So, what does this mean for you? This is good news for you since you are a Certified Sentricon Specialist^™ and receive comprehensive training to sell and service the Sentricon system. You provide peace of mind to customers who want to protect their homes and businesses from these hidden invaders. A ring of Sentricon stations eliminates attacking termites and protects against the threat of future attack. Termites eat the bait. Termites die. It’s as simple as that. Share these research findings with your customers when they are wondering what their best option is for termite treatment or protection. More than 60 published scientific articles document termite colony elimination, and this study is another one that reinforces that the Sentricon system is a proven solution.

No queen. No colony. No kidding.