Termite baiting systems compared: Trelona, Exterra, Sentricon

What is a termite baiting system?

A baiting system is a set of stations installed in the ground around a property. Termites forage into the stations, feed on the bait and carry it back to the colony. Baits in these systems are slow-acting on purpose, so the termites live long enough to share it. Trelona bait stations, Exterra and Sentricon all work on that idea, and each is made by a different company.

What matters to you is how each one is set up, who installs and monitors it, and what the paperwork says. Product claims come from the manufacturers, so check their technical sheets and the APVMA registration for the actual product.

Trelona, Exterra and Sentricon side by side

This table sticks to what manufacturers publish and to what Bruin can speak to first-hand.

That's a summary of published information, not a test. Manufacturers update products, so confirm the current version with whoever is quoting.

Exterra vs Trelona: what's the real difference?

The big practical difference is timing. A pre-baited station has bait in it from the day it goes in, so termites that find it feed straight away. A monitor-first station starts with an untreated monitoring material, and the bait goes in only after termites are found there.

Each approach has a case for it. Monitor-first means bait is only used where there's activity. Pre-baited means no wait between termites finding the station and feeding. We can't say which suits a house without seeing it, and we can only speak from experience about the system we install. If you're comparing quotes, ask each installer to explain how theirs is set up and checked.

Trelona vs Sentricon: which is better?

There isn't an honest one-word answer. Both are established baiting systems, and the result on a given house depends on the installation, how the stations are placed and how well they're monitored afterwards. Sentricon comes in different versions, so a quote for one may not describe another. Ask for the model and the written terms.

What Bruin can tell you is how we run Trelona ATBS. We install it, service it, and pair it with Termidor treated zones where a chemical barrier fits the house better. If Sentricon is what you've been quoted elsewhere, compare the scope, the visits and the paperwork as well as the brand.

What does Bruin install?

Bruin installs and services Trelona ATBS for baiting and Termidor for treated zones, with ongoing monitoring. We don't install Exterra or Sentricon. That's why this page is careful about how it describes them: we're passing on what the makers publish, and it isn't something we've seen in the field. If you found us through an old Exterra page, this is the updated answer.

If you already have another installer's system on your property, start with them or the paperwork you were given, because servicing and warranty terms sit with the installer and manufacturer. Bruin can still inspect the house to AS 3660 and tell you what it finds.

Do baiting systems work for every home?

No system does. Baiting needs termites to find the stations, so placement and monitoring matter. Some homes suit a treated zone better, especially where the plan needs a continuous edge around the building. That's why Bruin installs both and decides after an inspection. Our guide on termite bait versus chemical barrier walks through that decision.

What should you ask any baiting installer?

Put these to every company, whichever system they're quoting.

1. Which system and which version are you installing?
2. Are the stations baited on day one, or monitor first?
3. How many stations, and where will they go?
4. How often are they checked, and who does the checking?
5. What does the paperwork cover, and what voids it?
6. Does the company hold the right QBCC licence?

Bruin will answer each of those for Trelona ATBS with your quote. Call 1300 349 177 or book online.