Termite treatment in Officer & Cardinia Shire.

Termidor liquid soil barrier ($3,500–$7,500).

Fipronil-based termiticide manufactured by BASF. We trench a 150mm-wide, 300mm-deep channel around the external perimeter of the building, inject Termidor at calibrated rate (typically 5L per linear metre at 0.06% dilution), and backfill. Where the slab edge runs against concrete or pavers, we core-drill through and inject under the slab. Fipronil is non-repellent — termites pass through the treated zone without detecting it, pick up a lethal dose, and carry it back to the colony. Effective for 8+ years. Best for established homes with accessible external soil, active infestations needing immediate colony elimination, and properties where ongoing monitoring contact is not preferred.

Sentricon in-ground baiting ($3,200–$4,800 install + $400–$500/yr monitoring).

Corteva’s in-ground monitoring and baiting system. We bore and install tamper-resistant cylindrical stations every 3m around the property perimeter — 12–18 stations on a typical Cardinia Lakes / Officer block, more on acreage. Stations start with a timber inspection cartridge that termites preferentially attack. When activity is detected during monitoring visits, we switch to noviflumuron bait matrix — an insect growth regulator that termites can’t moult past. The colony feeds it back through grooming, the queen and workers can’t replace themselves, and the colony eliminates within 60–120 days. Best for slab-on-ground new builds where trenching damages landscaping, properties with paved or planted perimeters, and any property where ongoing active protection is preferred over reactive treatment.

Foaming at active workings (treatment-component, included in active treatment programs).

When we find active termites during an inspection, the first step is to foam Termidor directly at the workings — a foaming applicator pushes Termidor in carrier foam into the wall cavity, subfloor, roof void or wherever the workers are active. They pick up the chemical immediately and start carrying it back to the colony before we’ve even finished the visit. Foaming is always paired with a full soil barrier or baiting program afterwards — foaming kills the visible workers and starts the colony elimination, but it doesn’t protect against the next colony moving in.

What we don’t do.

• No bait stations without monitoring. Sentricon (or any baiting system) only works if it’s monitored on schedule. We don’t install and walk away.
• No old-school chemical barriers. Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) was withdrawn in 2010 and the older organochlorines decades before that. If you’ve been quoted "termite spray" by someone for $400, walk away — either it’s not termiticide, or it’s not legal.
• No half-perimeter barriers. A soil barrier has to be continuous around the full external perimeter. Termites only need one entry point.

Which method for which property?

• Officer / Cardinia Lakes new build (post-2010 slab-on-ground), no active termites, TMR aging out: Sentricon perimeter program. Reuses the manicured landscaping, ongoing active protection.
• Beaconsfield village or 1990s mid-ring Pakenham, no active termites, no TMR system in place: Termidor full external soil barrier. Establishes the protection that should have been there from new.
• Any property with active termites: Foam at workings immediately, then Termidor barrier or Sentricon program depending on site conditions. Active treatment is never less than $4,500.
• Heritage Springs / Pakenham Upper bushland-edge: Sentricon program plus 6-monthly inspections. Constant pressure needs constant monitoring.
• Acreage with multiple structures: Sentricon around house plus each outbuilding. Detached structures don’t share the main house’s protection.