Adding Water on Termite Bait
This next question is from Michael: “If a container of the colony – killer termite bait – has been opened, and water added, as directed, and placed in a position on a trap, after some time, it can dry out. Is it okay to add more water? And, does the bait lose its potency after it dries out? Or, are the active ingredients still good after it dries out and you add water?”
Ion: Yes, the active ingredient does last for a year or so. The only thing that it seems to cause a problem is if it all goes mouldy, with black mould. But let’s not confuse the issue. Termites, generally speaking, don’t mind a bit of mould, but some of the black moulds are a bit co-opt to some termites, so, that’d be the only reason. But drawing it out is not a problem. If you think about it, when you add the water to it, the white powder turns into something like mashed potato. And it’s sort of continuous – all those particles are all bound together like mashed potato. When the water dries out, the particles are still bound together, but that’s just like wood. Except that it’s continuous, and the termite can get into it and pave through it and tunnel through it, and it doesn’t collapse on them.
Being dry, it’s just like soft, pine timber, but even softer than that. And so they’re quite happy to eat it and there’s definitely no need to add water to it, because the water, or the adding of the water, is likely to disturb any termites that are wandering around inside, feeding. So, no, just leave it there. Of course, if there are no termites left in the bait station, there’s no point in leaving the bait there, either. You might as well remove the bait, and get on with your life.
Simon: Very good. And If it’s unopened, this bait will last for ages, won’t it?
Ion: Yes, yes. There’s no expiry date on the bait itself. Without the water, the water is only a potentially complicated factor if it gets wet and goes mouldy with that black mould, and that depends on where you live and what sort of moulds are around at the time.
