University of Hawaii Termite Project

University of Hawaii Termite Project

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Sentricon

Sentricon
Colony Elimination System

Crop circles?

These strange green discs have been appearing around buildings, homes, historical landmarks, and businesses... wherever a subterranean termite problem may exist. Maybe your neighbor has a few dozen around his house.

If you've ever wondered what they are, what you see here is really just the tip of the iceberg--the heart of this device lies completely underground. This is just one of many units which comprise the Sentricon system, a tool which has gained much popularity in termite control since its introduction in the 1990s.

The Sentricon Colony Elimination System is a termite control system from Dow AgroSciences. It is comprised of several slotted, sub-ground level cylinders containing wooden monitoring devices. When termite activity is detected in a particular unit, the monitoring insert is replaced with special bait tube. The bait used is a chitin inhibiting chemical which prevents the termites from molting. The idea behind this baiting method is that foraging termites consume the bait and pass it along to others within the colony, eventually trickling its way up to the queen, thereby eliminating the colony.

The U.H. Termite Project has been conducting research on the Sentricon system since its prototype appeared in 1993. Our field tests of the system resulted in the cessation of all detectable termite activity at the test locations. These results are good news for pest control operators and homeowners.

It is important to note too, that our long-term observations reaffirm the importance of continued monitoring after detectable termite activity has been suppressed, in order to catch reinfestations by new termite colonies. As other potential bait systems are developed, we are initiating research on these systems in order to keep Hawaii's residents informed about the available options for termite control.

Here's an article about termite baiting at the Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii:
Exterminators gang up on the palace villains.
From the Star-Bulletin, a local newspaper.

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DISCLAIMER: Reference to a company or product name does not imply approval or recommendation of the product by the University of Hawaii, the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR), the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS), the Cooperative Extension Service, or the U.H. Termite Project, to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.