Non-repellent termiticide
A non-repellent termiticide (fipronil, imidacloprid) cannot be detected by termites, who forage through and carry a lethal dose back to the colony.
Ask Chalkline about this →A non-repellent termiticide is a soil-applied termite chemical that the termites cannot detect, so they forage through the treated zone unaware, pick up a delayed-action dose, return to the nest, and spread it through the colony via the transfer effect. The two non-repellent chemistries in widespread Australian use are fipronil and imidacloprid.
How it differs from repellent
The contrast with the older repellent synthetic pyrethroids (bifenthrin, deltamethrin):
| Non-repellent | Repellent (pyrethroid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Termite detection | None | Detected, avoided |
| Kill mode | Delayed contact + transfer | Direct contact, fast |
| Colony impact | Eliminated | Foragers only; colony intact |
| Coverage tolerance | Small gaps OK | Any gap = bypass |
| Service life | ~8 yr (fipronil) | ~10 yr (bifenthrin) |
Modern AS 3660.1 soil-treated barriers default to non-repellent for the colony-elimination property; pyrethroids remain in use for penetration treatments and pre-construction blanket sprays where transfer is not the goal.
The two AU non-repellent actives
- Fipronil (Termidor SC, Termidor HE). The dominant non-repellent in Australian termite work. ~8 yr label life.
- Imidacloprid (Premise, Premise Concentrate). Older non-repellent, narrower window of use today; still spec’d in some reticulation programs.
Both deliver the transfer effect via the same biological pathways (contact + grooming + trophallaxis). The choice between them is usually price and pest-tech preference.
Application
- Soil-injected around the perimeter, under slab penetrations, and into reticulation pipework.
- Pre-pour blanket at the slab-prep stage, or post-pour perimeter via trench-and-treat.
- Recharge via reticulation inlets at the active’s service-life end.
Always installed by a licensed pest management technician under AS 3660.1.
For a builder
- Spec non-repellent as the default for new-build soil barriers.
- Brief the owner: the chemical doesn’t repel termites; it kills the colony. Mud tubes may still appear during the kill window. Don’t interpret as a barrier failure.
- Mark and protect reticulation inlets for the year-8 recharge.
- Pyrethroid retains a role for pre-pour blanket and penetration spot-treatments; not all chemistry is non-repellent and that’s a feature, not a regression.
Category: Termite management.
Related
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-29. Verified: 2026-05-29. Quarterly review for currency.