Palatability, Duration, And Elimination Period Of High Density Sentritech Baits, Tested With Reticulitermes Grassei And Reticulitermes Banyulensis

We tested a new SentriTech formulation of refined cellulose bait matrix containing hexaflumuron 0.5% to eliminate Reticulitermes grassei and Reticulitermes banyulensis, using 3-month monitoring and bait-replenishment interval, during 4 years in 40 sites in Spain, and compared the results against the SentriTech commercial baits present in the Spanish market in that moment. The aim was to test if both matrix formulations offer similar hit rate and time to connect with termites, if they achieve the elimination of colonies in similar period of time, and if consumption is similar in both cases. Results show similar hit rate of the new formulated matrix, significant reduction of time to connect with the colony, much less bait consumed during the elimination period, and reduction of the elimination period. Our data also show that extending the monitoring and bait-replenishment period to 180 days during the elimination period does not impact negatively colony elimination when using the new matrix bait. Longer service intervals and faster elimination can have significant advantages to pest controllers in terms of planification of resources and cost reductions.