Section A / How Long It Lasts
How Long Does Termite Treatment Last?
Label minimum
5 yr
MSU Extension
Termidor slab test
10+ yr
BASF / USDA-FS
Retreat liquid
~10 yr
MSU Extension
Fumigation, heat
0 residual
CA SPCB, UC IPM
Check your own treatment
Is my termite treatment still working?
6 years in: past the label minimum, inside the 10-year mark
Termidor held 100 percent control for at least 10 years in USDA Forest Service concrete-slab tests (BASF, citing Shelton et al. 2015). Other products and other soils differ, so the yearly inspection decides, not the calendar.
This compares your dates with published test results and label rules. It cannot see your soil, your house or your contract; the yearly inspection can.
Section B / Duration by Method
How long each termite treatment lasts, and when you pay again
Two treatments with the same install price can cost very different amounts over ten years, because one keeps working and the other stops the day it ends.
| Method | How long it lasts | What ends it | When you pay again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid soil treatment (Termidor and other termiticides) | At least 5 years to be labelled; better products 12+ years | Breakdown in the soil, or soil by the foundation disturbed | About every 10 years (MSU), or when an inspection finds termitesSource: MSU Extension |
| Termidor specifically | 100% for 10+ years in slab tests; 96% through 11 years on ground boards | Label gives no duration; retreat only on evidence | When reinfestation, disruption or breakdown is evidentSource: BASF FAQ (USDA-FS data); Termidor SC label |
| Bait stations (Sentricon, Trelona) | No expiry while serviced | Servicing stops | Inspected at least yearly, never over 15 months apart; monitoring $200 to $400 a year (HomeGuide)Source: Recruit HD label; Trelona label |
| Tent fumigation (Vikane) | No residual | Ends when the gas is aired out | Only if a new infestation is foundSource: California SPCB |
| Heat treatment | No residual | Ends when the heat does | Only if a new infestation is foundSource: UC IPM |
| Borate on wood (Bora-Care) | Intact in the treated wood while it stays dry | Rain, continuous water or ground contact | Untreated wood is never coveredSource: Bora-Care label |
Section C / Why the answers differ
Soil treatments and bait keep working; kill treatments do not
Liquid soil treatments. A termiticide is applied to the soil along and under the foundation, and termites that tunnel through it die. To be labelled, a product must give 100 percent control for at least 5 years in testing, and some of the better products have lasted up to 12 years or longer (Mississippi State University Extension). Those tests are the US Forest Service’s, run at sites in Arizona, Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina, where treated soil is challenged for at least five years and often much longer (Kard, USDA Forest Service). For Termidor, BASF reports the Forest Service results as 100 percent control for at least 10 years in concrete-slab tests, in some cases 15, and 100 percent for at least 5 years in ground-board tests with 96 percent control through 11 years (BASF Termidor FAQ, citing Shelton et al. 2015).
Test plots are not your yard. Termiticides break down over time, and even the best one cannot protect a house whose treated soil has been dug up or built over, which is why MSU suggests retreating buildings about every 10 years. The Termidor SC label itself gives no duration in years. It prohibits annual retreatment of the structure unless there is clear evidence of reinfestation, disruption of the treated zone or breakdown (EPA label, 30 April 2024), so the yearly inspection, not the calendar, is what triggers a retreatment.
Bait stations. A bait system has no expiry date because it is topped up. The Sentricon bait label requires stations to be inspected and serviced at least once a year, never more than 15 months apart (Recruit HD label), and Trelona’s label sets the same 15-month ceiling (Trelona label). The other side of that is that protection is tied to the service: stop paying the $200 to $400 a year monitoring (HomeGuide’s compiled estimate) and the stations stop being checked.
Fumigation and heat. Both are used mainly against drywood termites, and both kill what is in the house on the day. Fumigants have no residual effect (California Structural Pest Control Board). Heat works by bringing all the wood to at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit and holding it there for at least 33 minutes, and it too leaves no residual (UC IPM). UC IPM notes preventive chemicals can be applied to areas treated with fumigants or heat.
Borate on wood. Bora-Care soaks into bare wood. Its label says the treatment is intact provided the treated wood is not exposed to rain, continuous water or direct contact with the ground (Bora-Care label). It protects only the wood it reaches.
Section D / What it means for cost
How long a treatment lasts decides what it costs over ten years
A liquid treatment is a large cost once, then an inspection each year, with a retreatment somewhere around the 10-year mark or when termites are found. A bait system costs less to keep going each year but never stops costing. A fumigation has no follow-on fee, and no follow-on protection.
A renewable termite contract (what most people call a termite bond) turns the uncertain timing of a retreatment into a fixed yearly fee, and some contracts also pay to repair new damage up to a stated limit. The termite bond calculator takes your own quote, and the renewal cost page lists the renewal prices that are published. If termites have already done damage, see termite damage repair cost.
Section E / Frequently asked
Common questions
How long does termite treatment last?+
It depends on the method. A liquid soil termiticide must give 100 percent control for at least 5 years in testing to be labelled, and the better products have lasted 12 years or longer; Mississippi State University Extension suggests retreating about every 10 years. Termidor held 100 percent control for at least 10 years in USDA Forest Service concrete-slab tests (BASF, citing Shelton et al. 2015). A bait system has no expiry but protects only while it is serviced, at least once a year. Tent fumigation and heat treatment leave no residual at all.
How long does Termidor last?+
BASF reports USDA Forest Service results (Shelton et al. 2015) of 100 percent termite control for at least 10 years in concrete-slab tests, in some cases 15, and 100 percent for at least 5 years in ground-board tests with 96 percent control through 11 years. The Termidor SC label itself states no duration. It prohibits annual retreatment unless there is clear evidence of reinfestation, disruption of the treated zone or breakdown, so the label ties retreatment to evidence rather than to a date.
How often should termite treatment be done?+
For a liquid treatment, Mississippi State University Extension suggests about every 10 years, sooner if an inspection finds termites or the treated soil has been disturbed. A bait system is not re-done on a cycle; it is inspected and serviced, and the Sentricon (Recruit HD) label requires that at least once a year and never more than 15 months apart. After fumigation or heat there is no schedule: treatment is repeated only when a new infestation is found.
How long do bait stations last?+
As long as they are serviced. The Recruit HD (Sentricon) label requires stations to be inspected at least annually, with no more than 15 months between inspections, and the Trelona label has annual, 90-day and 120-day options with the same 15-month limit. Protection stops when servicing stops. HomeGuide's compiled estimate for monitoring is $200 to $400 a year.
Does tent fumigation or heat treatment last?+
No. The California Structural Pest Control Board states that fumigants have no residual effect, and UC IPM says the same of heat, which works by holding all the wood at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or more for at least 33 minutes. Both kill the drywood termites present that day. Neither stops a new colony arriving afterwards; UC IPM notes preventive treatments can be applied to areas treated with fumigants or heat.
Does any termite treatment last forever?+
No soil treatment does: Mississippi State University Extension says termiticides break down over time and fail where the treated soil around the foundation is disturbed. The closest thing is a borate applied to wood: the Bora-Care label says the treatment is intact provided the treated wood is not exposed to rain, continuous water or direct ground contact. It protects only the wood it was applied to, not the rest of the house.
What shortens a termite treatment?+
For liquid treatments, anything that moves the treated soil: trenching, regrading, new paths or an addition against the foundation. Mississippi State University Extension says even the best termiticide cannot protect if the treated soil is disturbed. For bait, a missed service. For borate, water: the label conditions the treatment on the wood staying out of rain, standing water and soil.
Section F / How we sourced this
Where these durations come from
Every duration on this page was read from its source on 30 October 2026: the Mississippi State University Extension termite Q&A (Blake Layton), BASF’s Termidor FAQ, which reports US Forest Service field results, the Forest Service’s account of its termiticide testing, and the EPA-accepted labels for Termidor SC, Recruit HD, Trelona and Bora-Care, with California’s fumigation leaflet and UC IPM for drywood methods.
We quote test results as the source states them and do not turn them into a single “lasts X years” figure for your house: test plots and labels set the floor, and your soil, moisture and any digging near the foundation decide the rest. The checker above only compares your dates with those published figures.
Section G / Where to next
Related cost pages
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Termidor SC Cost
The liquid treatment, priced per linear foot from the label rate.
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Sentricon Cost
The serviced bait system and its yearly renewal.
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Trelona Cost
BASF's bait system and its inspection options.
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Termite Bond
What a renewable termite contract costs and covers.
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Renewal Cost
Published renewal and monitoring prices.
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Termite Fumigation Cost
Whole-house drywood treatment with no residual.
This page is a cost guide. It is not pest control advice, and we are not a pest control company. Confirm the warranty term in writing with a licensed operator before you sign.