How often would the cartridges typically need to be replaced?

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angey88dj

How often would the cartridges typically need to be replaced?

I live in Creedmoor NC, and just purchased a new home. We had Orkin come out and give us an estimate for setting up the Sentricon system. The initial price was $1300, with a $300 annual renewal fee. They estimated we would need about 20 stations. I was trying to determine if we could set up our own system at a better price. I believe it would cost us around $600 for the cartridges.

How long on average would the cartridges last? I understand this probably varies based on termite activity, but am trying to avoid spending more money to maintain my own system.

Status: Open Feb 25, 2013 - 10:35 AM

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RonDawson

Feb 25, 2013 - 09:22 PM

New Home? What Orkin did not tell and they have no way of knowing, is that the amount of termite bait "to be consumed" is not known, and also with a new home, how long it will take termites to show up. It could take years. Texas A&M University (Dr. Roger Gold) has said that with most new home construction, it takes 7+ years for subterranean termites to show up. That's a lot of renewals for Orkin at $300 per year.

Sentricon is sold to professional companies under a license from Dow Agrosciences. Many of these companies pay a minimal amount to Dow for the Sentricon stations and initial installation. Dow makes their money on the subsequent "annual renewal fees", which can be hundreds of dollars per year.

There are companies in Texas that will install a 20 station Sentricon system for as little as $350, but then charge you $300 per year for the annual reinspection fee, which they hope is 5-10 years. This is total overkill.

If you want a "do it yourself" Sentricon System, then the Hex Pro Termite Bait System is identical to Sentricon, with the exception of the color and the chitin inhibitor (Bait).

The Sentricon system uses "Noviflumuron" and the Hex Pro System uses the original Sentricon Chitin Inhibitor called "Hexaflumuron". In my opinion, they work the same, and their is no added benefit with either.

Here is the link to Hex Pro Termite Bait System - http://www.epestsupply.com/product/26...

It's only $249 and comes with 20 Hex Pro "Sentricon" Stations and 6 "Shatter" Termite Bait Cartridges

Here is a link to the Hex Pro Label - http://www.epestsupply.com/images/Pro...

The Cartridges last until consumed by the termites, or until they become moldy or appear to be degraded. There is no time table on this. My experience with this type of bait is that control usually requires 6-12 "Shatter" termite cartridges over a period of 2-3 years. Control can be had in as little as 1-2 years, but this depends on how aggressive the termites are, the time of year, etc.

My advice? Do it yourself and Save!

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RonDawson

Jan 11, 2019 - 04:13 PM

If the bait is soft or mushy or looks moldy, then I would consider replacing it. On the other hand if it looks hard and doesn't have any mold on it, it might be ok. It really depends on which type of bait that was used. The newer Sentricon systems use what is called "Always Active". It is supposed to last up to 7 years.

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Thanks so much, Ron Dawson. I closed on a home in Stuart, FL that was inspected in November 2018 and found no active evidence in this 25 year old house. I just pulled out one of the bait stations (Sentricon I believe) and saw no evidence of activity. Should I replace the baits for safety or just monitor? I can safely say the only has not monitored this issue for close to a year given her passing on -- Thanks

How often would the cartridges typically need to be replaced?

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