When it comes to termites extermination, many homeowners prefer to opt for the products that are made by the reputable companies that have enough resources for proper research and are well-known on the market.
One of those kind of corporations is the FMC, founded in 1883 in California.
Originally it was called Bean Spray Company and was producing the piston pumps for insecticide application. Nowadays it has many different structures that are producing different products, but the insecticide is also on the list.
The main termicide they produce is called Biflex.
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- What is Biflex active ingredient?
- What are the forms of Biflex?
- I don’t understand, say it in simple words
- Useful articles
What is Biflex active ingredient?
“The inspiration for Biflex came from a fresh field of daisies” – that’s how the Biflex brochure starts.
Sound very eco-friendly and sweet, but what stands behind this “nature inspired” chemical solution?
The main active ingredient of Biflex products is Bifenthrin, discovered and developed by FMC corporation.
This chemical insecticide is based on the natural insecticide of pyrethrum, a small white daisy.
But do not make a mistake, it doesn’t mean that it’s a natural chemical. It’s a man-made insecticide with its toxicity level and other drawbacks. So what are the characteristics of Bifenthrin?
Generally, Bifenthrin is a restricted chemical in the US, but it’s still possible to buy it in the low concentration for daily use, so Biflex is the product that is possible to find in American market.
Restriction is due to Bifenthrin high toxicity for the aquatic arthropods and fish. It is hardly soluble in soil, the quality that helps it to have a strong residual effect, advertised by FMC, but it means that it stays toxic for long period after application.
As for the humans, it has a certain level of danger as well. It can cause dizziness, eye irritation, skin and mucous membrane of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, if inhaled. It also harmful if swallowed and can cause dermatitis.Here you can learn more information about another effective termite control remedies: Bora-Care, Boric acid, Borate, Fipronil, Chlorpyrifos, Chlordane, Borax, Timbor, Termidor, Terminator, Phantom, Lorsban, Terro. You can choose different forms, such as – foam, liquid, powder.
What are the forms of Biflex?
There are two products in the line of Biflex termite control: Biflex Ultra Lo-Odour and Biflex AquaMax. Because both of them have Bifenthrin in their base, they can be applied only by licensed pest control professional.
Both types of product are not only a termiticide, but also a multi-insecticide that is effective on different species of pests, including termites, wasps, spiders, ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes, ticks etc. The containers available for purchase are 5l, 20l and 200l.
The type of application method will depend on the pest you are planning to fight. In case of termites, it will be trenching with subsequent use of the suitable high volume spray equipment.
When you use it against subterranean termites there’re three kinds of protective Biflex termite treatment you can create with it:
- pre-construction barrier;
- perimeter barrier;
- post-construction barrier.
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.
Important! Any of these Biflex anti termite treatments can only be made by authorized licensed under state legislation persons!
But what is barriers? It is a soil treatment method, usually used as a preventive measure against subterranean termites. You see, normally, those pests are coming to your house from outside, where they have their nest in the soil.
It’s almost impossible to detect where is the colony itself is situated, so it’s hard to use termiticide on the nest. What you can do is to cut off all the ways the termites can come into your house. If you place and insecticide barrier around your house, the subterranean termites will never enter your building.
Of course, the best is if you can pretreat the soil even before the house is built, but this technique is very efficient on existing structures as well.The application of this product requires digging the trenches and drilling some impenetrable surfaces (such as concrete pathway, for example) to gain access to the soil.
For the existing structure, recommended drill hole spacing is between 150 and 300 meters, with up to 10 l, of emulsion injected per linear meter. When you make a proper soil treatment, you actually creating two kinds of barriers:
- vertical;
- horizontal.
Vertical barrier is essentially a perimeter barrier. It follows the walls of the building not too far away from the wall and expansion joints. Horizontal barrier is the treatment of the soil under the suspended floors.
When you have both ways protected – you are enclosing your house in the protection box, making sure termites will not find the point to enter.
One way to make sure your barrier will never fade is to create a special piping system, around the foundation of your house before the construction. This way, when needed, the insecticide can be just pumped inside the system renewing the whole protection.
Anyway, the manufacturer recommends annual inspection to determine if there’s a need in barrier refreshment.
Some extra things to know:
- As the product is toxic for water organisms it should not enter any water supply to avoid contamination of the rivers, waterways etc. So you have to wait until the soil is dry before the treatment, otherwise there can be chances of chemical run-off.
- Do not use it for the treatment of the areas where you grow food.
- It is strongly advised to use a full-body protection when handling the termiticide. Long sleeve shirt, gloves, washable hat, resistant footwear etc.
- It shouldn’t be used in less than indicated label rates.
- Don’t use it in cavity walls.
One more thing that matters for the proper soil treatment, is the type of soil. The application will be pointless on the clayish or sandy soil. So, some of the pest control operators might offer you to replace the soil around your building for the treatment to reach its maximum efficiency.
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 and how to refill them?
I don’t understand, say it in simple words
Ok, so that’s what I learned from the whole hour of reading the Biflex AquaMax and Biflex Ultra Lo Odour labels.
First of all, there’s absolutely no way to tell the difference between those products – they both are coming in form of emulsion, have concentration of Bifenthrin of 100g/l, can be used against multiple pests and can be used as a soil treatment for subterranean termites infestation preventive measure.
Good thing, they can only be used by professionals, because there’re too many specific details how to make the pre-construction, post-construction, vertical or horizontal barrier. The equipment that has to be used in the process is also not the one that can be found in every household.So, Biflex is highly efficient soil barrier insecticide, that can be used for the prevention of the subterranean termites’ infestation. To be efficient in case of active termites in the household, it should be combined with other extermination methods.
Another way of using it – simply pouring the termiticide on the location of termites nest, if you managed to figure out where it is situated (for example, if you’ve seen the swarm emerging from under the ground in this place).
One thing the Biflexx is not – it’s not eco or environment friendly, so, if you’re a green spirited person, you’ll need to find another way to get rid of termites.
Otherwise, make contract with your Pest Control operator, treat your soil, and make sure you have annual inspections included in your deal.
Then, though cost of the full treatment won’t be low, you’ll have a guaranteed protection for years, due to the long-lasting Bifenthrin effect. After all, there’s no better way of fighting the termites than simply not to let them enter your property on the first place. Good luck!
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.
