02/05/2017
Nemesis - Termite Bait - Termite Baiting
Recommended where live termites are found
Nemesis - the Australian product: The Nemesis termite baiting system is an Australian designed and developed termite baiting system aimed at eliminating a termite colony in a safe non-invasive way. The only other termite baits commercially available in Australia is Exterra and Sentricon both USA company owned products.
Registered by Australian Authorities: Nemesis termite bait is a registered product under the requirements of legislation administered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority a Federal Government instrumentality. The system uses a number of plastic bait stations for in-ground and above-ground installation where active termites have been located.
How it works: The Nemesis bait contains chlorfluazuron as the active constituent, which acts as an insect growth regulator or IGR. The worker termites readily eat the bait and pass it onto other termites in the central nest as part of their mutual feeding and grooming process. Termites must regularly moult in their development from nymph to adult.
A cascading lethal effect: The chemical prevents the termites from regrowing their external skeleton, resulting in the death of the termite. Termites cannibalize other dead termites thereby hastening the elimination of the entire colony.
When is it used: Where live activity is found we recommend that an above-ground bait station containing Nemesis bait is positioned directly on areas of known activity.
Regular monitoring: The above-ground stations are checked at 2 to 3 week intervals to assess levels of bait consumption by the termites. The bait is replenished as required. With sufficient consumption the entire termite colony will be eliminated. Bear in mind, there is always the likelihood that other termite nests will infest the building.
BEWARE: Some unscrupulous pest control companies offer to install in-ground plastic stations as a termite "baiting" and monitoring program even if no live termites are found on the property and a complete soil treatment to AS3660 is a viable (and much better) long term option. Remember: this strategy assumes the blind termites will "find" the monitoring stations, then and only then, is the bait added.
Many home-owners complain to us about such unscrupulous pest controllers. The home-owners were lead to believe the termite "baiting" and monitoring plastic stations included the termite bait upon installation. It doesn't. In fact, the bait is only added if the termites happen to find and infest the timber inside the in-ground stations. The termites may infest the building, long before blindly finding the in-ground stations around the perimeter of the building.
In-ground monitoring stations may be an option where a complete soil treatment to AS3660 is impracticable, such as, with a home built on sandstone (no soil thereunder) or a terrace attached in a row of joined terraces or a ferry wharf, where a complete soil treatment to AS.3660 cannot be carried out. Each case must be assessed on it's merits.
