How to Refill Termite Bait Station?

So, if you’ve ever bought and used termite bait systems, you may know that the bait inside of them is very limited.

The size of it depends on how large the actual system is.

For small stakes, it is just tiny, to fit inside the small body.

While bigger more professional systems can have baits that are twice as large, or even bigger.

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• Termite bait station refill
• Mandatory precautions
• Useful articles
• Helpful video
• Conclusion

Mostly for every system the “cheese” is the same. Same old piece of timber saturated with some kind of a toxic material, mostly sulfluramid. Though some brands produce systems and more unique baits for them as well, as an example, “Exterra”, with their “Focus” product, used to fill in their own baits.

Sometimes systems, mostly stake-type ones, can be one-time-use only. You place them in, they work through their capacity and then you replace them. Below you will find out all the basic information you need to know about baits in the termite baiting systems, step-by-step manual on how to refill most types of them, and what’s best for this job.

Be warned: some systems may not fit into the described processes, circumstances and else, so you will still probably have to read the manual. But you can read the following article for the sake of preparing you for, as an example, do-it-yourself installation of a termite defense system.

Remember, that incorrect installation may result in ineffective work of the said system. Be extremely careful!

Learn more about subterranean termites: signs of their activity; best methods of treatment and DIY methods. Eastern subterranean termites and their tunnels and tubes with photo.

Termite bait station refill

First, it is important to note that every system can have it’s precautions and additional steps when it comes to refilling, though just for the sake of simplicity, we are going to go over the processes of 3 systems, those being:

1. “Nemesis Termite Bait”.
2. “Exterra Termite Baiting”.
3. “Terminate Termite Home Defense”.

The first one is your every-day baiting system which consists of indefinite number of station used as well as for monitoring the termites activity, as for getting rid of them. How do you refill it (and, in fact, all similar systems).

We advice you to wear gloves for the termite bait refills, as you are going to be dealing with toxic materials, dirt and, possibly, termites.

• Firstly you have to make sure you have spare sulfluramid/hydramethilnon/fipronil wooden (or made from any other cellulose material available) cartridges. They can be bought in most pest-control shops, and on the internet.
• Approach and open the station. If it any specific key is required to open it, in will probably be included in the kit you ordered. Use it for the station’s cover.
• You will either see little to none material left inside the body of the station, and possibly you will notice termites running along the remains of the bait. Clear off those remains.

It is recommended for you to not disturb the termites too much, or they may abandon the feeding point and their new location will be unknown for you.

Bring out your new cartridges and put 1 or 2 of them inside, depending on your system’s specifications. For example, “Nemesis” requires you to put 2 cartridges. Some systems require you to install them into mountings, while others are okay if you put the cartridges freely.

Close the cover, use the key again if you need to. You are done here, now move to the next station and repeat if needed.

For “Exterra” the process is quite the same, although as opposed to using wooden cartridges, their systems are filled with own bait – the “Focus”.

It emits CO2, attracting termites to itself. But it is also used by termites as food.

And, as it is saturated with sulfluramid, said termites die in a matter of a couple of days.

“Focus” is produced in granule-form, so you pour those granules into the station as specified in the manual and you are done with termite trap refill.

Now, as for stake systems, everything is even simpler. Unlike “Exterra” system and such, you don’t need to open the body when the bait is eaten. Alternatively, you just replace the whole stake with a new one when the time comes.

Be careful! You should pay attention to the amount of bait inside the stake. It is best to replace the stake completely, if it’s running very low on bait. Never wait till everything is gone!

Here you can learn more information about termite bait systems: Advance, Green, CSIRO, Nemesis, Exterra, Firstline, Terminate. Also find out how to make baits by yourself?

Mandatory precautions

While it is very easy to refill the stations, you need to be careful when doing so. The precautions are very important, especially whilst interacting with toxic materials.

When changing (refilling) the cartridges, be sure to wear gloves. Even if there’s low concentration of chemical material inside of the cartridge, you still can get poisoned by it. Moreover, if you are unlucky to have some skin problems, the toxicant can irritate your skin. So be sure to at least wear gloves. Rubber gloves would be even better.

Know where the termites are likely to hit. Without such knowledge, you are lowering you chances of repelling the termites from your house. Sometimes they may not find any bait, and the only tasty thing around would be your home.

So you either place baits all around the perimeter as close as possible to your home, adding some more to places of possible activity, or you, based on the said knowledge, place more temporary baits right near all the nests there are.

This will be dangerous, as, again, you have to be completely sure about what you’re doing.

And it is something that you better leave for the professionals. But it can be left here just as a possibility, not a requirement.

Here you can learn more information about effective termite control remedies: Bora-Care, Boric acid, Borate, Fipronil, Chlorpyrifos, Chlordane, Borax, Timbor, Termidor, Terminator, Phantom, Lorsban, Biflex, Terro. You can choose different forms, such as – foam, liquid, powder.

Always read manuals. Pest-control isn’t something you want take as for granted. Termites do billions in terms of damage to buildings, and you don’t want your home adding up to that sum. If you locate your stations at the wrong place, they will act like a gate in the open field, where termites are your sheep.

Useful articles

If you interested in more information of termites we recommend you to read the following articles:

• All types of termites. Are they harmful to humans? Can they bite you? And what is the difference between drywood and subterranean ones?
• What does swarmers of different species look like: drywood, subterranean, formosan?
• Signs of infestation outside and in the house: in walls or furniture.
• How to treat them at home and in the yard: in wood or in fence. How long this process lasts and what is pre-construction and soil treatment?
• What does termite holes look like? What is droppings and is it toxic to humans? Do termites make noises?
• Posible termite damage, how does it look like? Examples of damage in walls and wood floors.
• All about flying termites: how do they look like, swarming season and what to do if there are swarmers in your house?
• How do they do nests and mounds? How to find it in your garden or inside the house?
• Termite life cycle – from egg to larvae. And social hierarchy: workers, soldiers, queen.
• Did you know that termites can infest living trees, for example a palm or a pine tree. They also like to live in stumps.
• You can prevent the infestation by using barriers, such as: HomeGuard, Physical systems, Safeguard, Stainless steel mesh, Kordon.
• If you want to get rid of termites naturally, learn more about such methods as: heat or cold treatment, orange oil, using nematodes.

Helpful video

Here is a termite bait station being opened and then refilled with bait:

Conclusion

In the end, it is important to note the significance of the knowledge that you have just acquired. Even if you’ve never fought the infestations around and in your house, being prepared means being armed and ready.

While most people would want to contact pest-control, and they definitely won’t make a mistake, some want to deal with this stuff of their own. Not that is is prohibited. Though it’s best to acquire at least starting knowledge on a subject.

One of the ways to do this is, of course, reading articles on the internet, like the one you’ve just read. And another, once again, would be asking pest-control.

If you have the possibility to do so, then why not? It’s understandable if there’s none in your area, though it is very unlikely. Everywhere where termites exist – pest-controls are.

You should also always know how to analise your situation. For example, buying the best possible baiting system and using is in co-op with termite repellent when you have little to none termites under your lawn is not a viable option.

A much better decision would be using some stakes, located all around you house. You are saving money, your time and effort, but dealing with the problem at a good rate. In other words, never “overkill”. Though doing not enough is an even worse thing.

Those parasites are breeding very fast. If you don’t stop that process, or don’t slow down fast enough, those cheeky insects will come for you. Always be on the top of your abilities, pay attention and know how to find threats even if you first can’t see them. And as always, thank You for reading!