Start with the notice in your meter box
If your home was built under the current building code with a termite management system, it should have a durable notice fixed somewhere prominent, often the meter box. It names the system used, the date it went in, and the installer's or maker's advice on how often to inspect. For a chemical system it also shows the life expectancy on the product's registered label.
Read that before you compare brands: it tells you what you already have.
The names, side by side
| What it is | Where it goes | |
|---|---|---|
| Termidor | A liquid termiticide (fipronil) made by BASF | Into the soil under and around a building, as a continuous treated zone |
| Biflex | A liquid termiticide (bifenthrin), now sold by Envu, formerly FMC | Into the soil, to form a chemical barrier between the building and termites |
| Termimesh | Stainless steel mesh and collars | Built in while a new home or extension goes up: slab edges, wall cavity, pipe penetrations |
| HomeGuard | Polymer sheeting and other building products impregnated with bifenthrin, now sold by Envu | Built in during construction: under or in the slab, the wall cavity, around pipes |
| Sentricon | In-ground stations holding a hexaflumuron rod, a Corteva brand | In the soil around the building |
| Reticulation | Perforated pipes, polyethylene or PVC | Laid under the slab before the concrete is poured, topped up from outside |
Termidor and Biflex: chemical soil treatments
The label registered with the APVMA for Termidor Residual Termiticide and Insecticide, held by BASF Australia, lists 100 g/L fipronil as its active constituent. The label directs that it go into the soil to form a continuous treated zone around and under the building, by spraying, trenching or an approved reticulation system. BASF said in 2017 that its Termidor HE version must be applied by a pest control operator holding a licence.
Biflex products use bifenthrin. Envu describes Biflex AquaMax as a water based termiticide with 100 g/L bifenthrin, and FMC's Biflex Ultra label says the mix goes into soil to set up a barrier between the building and subterranean termites. Envu took over FMC's Australian specialty products in May 2025, so you may see either name on paperwork.
CSIRO names bifenthrin, imidacloprid, fipronil and chlorantraniliprole as the main soil chemicals used today, and QBCC says most termite chemicals have a limited life, so ask how long the product on your quote is expected to last.
Termimesh and HomeGuard: built in while the house goes up
Termimesh is a stainless steel mesh barrier made and installed by Termi Home & Commercial. The maker says it runs around the whole slab perimeter, to block the path up the wall cavity, with mesh collars sealing the pipes that come up through the slab. Because it goes in early in construction, the maker says it only suits new builds and extensions.
HomeGuard is a range of building products, including polymer sheeting, impregnated with bifenthrin, first sold by FMC and now listed by Envu. FMC's brochure says it's sealed into the foundations during construction: under or in the slab, in the perimeter wall cavity and around service pipes. Envu describes the HomeGuard PB sheet as 300 micron polymer.
Both are built to do what CSIRO describes for physical barriers: block hidden entry, or force termites to build mud tubes in the open, where an inspection can find them.
Sentricon: stations in the ground
Sentricon is a Corteva Agriscience brand. The APVMA label for the Australian Sentricon IG rod lists 5 g/kg hexaflumuron, an insect growth regulator, and says a rod goes into every in-ground station when the system is installed. Corteva says termites feed on it inside the station, share it through the colony and then can't moult properly.
That's the same principle CSIRO describes for bait stations generally: a slow acting insecticide carried back to the nest and passed on through food sharing. Our termite baiting page covers how baiting programs run, and the station checks they need.
Termite reticulation systems
A reticulation system is a network of perforated polyethylene or PVC pipes laid under the slab, so termiticide can be pumped back into the soil later. QBCC says it has to go in before the concrete is poured, and that it lets the chemical be recharged from outside the building. A reticulation system is pipework, not a chemical: what goes through it, and how often, is what matters.
What none of these does
- Stop termites living on your block: QBCC says a barrier won't stop termite activity on the site.
- Replace inspections: The Hills Shire Council calls barrier systems early detection systems, not prevention.
- Survive being covered up: QBCC says garden beds, wood chips against the house, or an attached carport, pergola or fence can bridge a system.
- Stay the same forever: CSIRO says renovations, garden changes, slab movement and insecticide depletion all weaken barriers over time.
Ask about any system named on a quote
- What's the product's full name? (You can look it up on the national pesticide register.)
- Where exactly will it go, and does any part need drilling through the slab or paving?
- How long is it expected to last, and what does it need after that: a top up, station checks, a yearly inspection?
- What does any warranty cover, and what are its conditions, in writing?
- Will you update the termite notice in the meter box?
Our take on termite treatment systems
A brand name tells you the method, not whether it suits your house. We'd read the meter box notice first, then ask the termite inspector to explain in writing why they've picked that system for your slab, garden and layout. If you've found live termites or mud tubes, don't disturb them or spray anything: tap Termites before you choose a system.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
