Trelona ATBS Cost in 2026
Checked 14 October 2026: BASF, which makes Trelona, publishes no install price or yearly fee; the pest control company sets both. Orkin lists $1,000 to $2,300 or more for its own termite baiting, and HomeGuide puts a bait station system at $7 to $12 per linear foot plus $200 to $400 a year to monitor. Trelona's label allows one inspection a year.
Orkin baiting
$1,000-$2,300+
Orkin
Bait, per foot
$7-$12/lin ft
HomeGuide
Monitoring
$200-$400/yr
HomeGuide
10 years, 179 ft
$3,053-$5,748
Our arithmetic
Product Registration
Trelona ATBS at a glance
- 01Bait: Trelona Compressed Termite Bait, novaluron 0.50 percent
- 02EPA Reg. No. 499-557, BASF (label accepted 16 June 2026)
- 03Stations no more than 20 ft apart, plus extras near termite activity
- 04Two cartridges a station allow a yearly inspection; never more than 15 months apart
- 05For licensed applicators only; the operator owns the stations
From the EPA-accepted Trelona label and BASF's Trelona ATBS page, both read 14 October 2026.
Section B / Published prices
Every published price that applies to a Trelona quote
None of these is BASF's price, because BASF does not publish one. They are what named publishers print for bait station systems in general, shown as each states it, not averaged. All re-read 14 October 2026.
| Source | Figure |
|---|---|
| BASF (Trelona) | No install priceSold to pest control companies through distributors; its operator worksheet leaves the list price blank |
| Orkin | $1,000-$2,300+Orkin's own price for termite baiting; the table names no bait brand |
| HomeGuide | $7-$12/lin ft; $1,000-$2,500 whole homeBait station systems, from its members' project costs |
| HomeGuide | $200-$400/yrYearly monitoring for re-infestation |
| HomeAdvisor | $8-$12/lin ftTermite bait, from its customers' project costs |
| This Old House | $400-$3,000Termite bait systems, its own research |
The only install figure BASF prints is in a 2020 sales sheet for pest control companies: $800 per install and $200 per renewal, marked “For example only”. It shows operators how bait accounts add up; it is not a homeowner price. Terminix shows no price on its cost page. A written quote should state the station count, the yearly fee and what that fee covers.
Section C / Stations and parts
How many stations, and what the parts cost
The Trelona label says to install stations so that “the maximum interval between any two stations does not exceed 20 feet” where the ground is accessible. The table divides an estimated perimeter by 20 ft, then prices the stations at one retailer's kit price ($399.50 for 16 preloaded stations, about $24.97 each).
| Floor area | Perimeter | Min. stations | Stations, retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | ~126 ft | 7 | $175 |
| 1,500 sq ft | ~155 ft | 8 | $200 |
| 2,000 sq ft | ~179 ft | 9 | $225 |
| 2,500 sq ft | ~200 ft | 10 | $250 |
| 3,000 sq ft | ~219 ft | 11 | $275 |
- Linear feet = 4 x the square root of the floor area, which assumes a square, single-storey footprint. Real homes are rarely square, so the true perimeter is usually longer.
- BASF's own estimate for an average home is 15 stations, about $375 at the same kit price. The label adds stations within about 5 feet of termite activity and in conducive spots: mulch, wood scraps, moist or shaded soil, roots and bath traps.
- Yearly parts: BASF says 10 to 20 percent of cartridges are replaced in an average year. On 9 stations (18 cartridges) at one retailer's 100-cartridge case price, that is $14 to $27 a year.
- Labour: the median pest control worker earned $21.75 an hour in May 2025 (BLS). No source publishes how many hours a Trelona install takes, so we do not price the labour. The gap between the parts and the published job prices pays for that time, travel, equipment, the operator's licence and insurance, the yearly visit and the guarantee.
Section D / Ten years
Trelona bait stations vs a liquid barrier over 10 years
The same 179 ft perimeter and the same HomeGuide rates as the termite treatment cost calculator, which takes your own footage. These are bait-system rates, not Trelona prices.
| Bait | Liquid | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1, install | $1,253-$2,148 | $537-$3,580 |
| Years 2-10bait: 9 years of monitoring; liquid: 9 contract renewals | $1,800-$3,600 | $1,350-$4,500 |
| 10-year total | $3,053-$5,748 | $1,887-$8,080 |
- Rates: HomeGuide's $7 to $12 per linear foot for bait and $3 to $20 per linear foot for liquid, its $200 to $400 a year bait monitoring and $150 to $500 a year contract renewal. Our arithmetic; monitoring is counted from year 2, so ask whether the first year's visit is in the install price.
- BASF says a Trelona cartridge stays effective for up to 5 years in the ground, so over ten years most of the yearly fee is the inspection visit, not bait.
- Mississippi State University Extension: some liquid treatments last 12 years or longer, while bait protects for as long as the stations are kept and checked at least yearly. Stop paying the yearly fee and bait protection stops with it.
Section E / How it works
What the yearly fee pays for
Trelona is a bait, not a barrier. Each in-ground station holds compressed cellulose cartridges with 0.50 percent novaluron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor: termites that feed on it cannot form a new exoskeleton and die at the next molt. BASF says foraging workers share the bait through the colony, and the label says that, when inspected and replenished as directed, it gives “on-going structural protection through colony elimination.”
The label ties the visit schedule to the bait load. With two 124 gram cartridges in every station (the Annual setup), the inspection interval is one year, and no more than 15 months may pass between inspections. With one cartridge it is 90 or 120 days. At each visit the technician opens every station, replaces any cartridge more than one third eaten or badly decayed, and closes it. Visits can slip past the interval only while the average outdoor temperature stays below 50°F, and state rules can require more.
BASF sells Trelona only through authorized distributors to pest control companies, which own the stations and the customer account and pay BASF no renewal fee. For you, that means the yearly fee is set by your operator, and the stations usually stay the operator's property. Ask what happens to them if you cancel or sell the house.
Section F / Alternatives
Trelona vs Sentricon and liquid Termidor
Sentricon (Corteva) uses noviflumuron, which BASF's FAQ describes as the same benzoylphenyl urea class and mode of action as novaluron. Its Recruit HD label sets the same 20 ft maximum spacing and a yearly service. Corteva publishes no install price either; it says Sentricon costs about a dollar a day to keep in place. Compare the two on the station count and the yearly fee each operator writes down.
Advance Termite Bait Stations (BASF) share the station design. BASF says active ingredient goes in only once termite activity is found, where Trelona Annual stations are baited from day one.
Liquid Termidor SC is a soil barrier with no station service. HomeGuide puts chemical soil treatment at $3 to $20 per linear foot; the ten-year table above sets it beside bait on the same footage.
Section G / Method
How we priced this
- BASF publishes no Trelona price, so no figure on this page is a Trelona install price. The job prices are Orkin's, HomeGuide's, HomeAdvisor's and This Old House's own figures for bait systems, from the same records the termite treatment cost page uses.
- Parts: one retailer's 16-station kit ($399.50) and 124 g cartridge case ($756.96 for 100), the price that day, not what an operator pays its distributor.
- Station counts, parts totals and ten-year totals are our arithmetic: the perimeter divided by the label's 20 ft spacing, times the per-station price; HomeGuide's per-foot rate times the perimeter, plus nine yearly fees.
- Rules: the Trelona label (EPA Reg. No. 499-557, accepted 16 June 2026), BASF's Trelona FAQ and installation worksheet. Wages: BLS. Lifespan: Mississippi State University Extension.
- All checked 14 October 2026. Full methodology.
Section H / Frequently asked
Trelona cost questions
How much does the Trelona ATBS termite system cost?+
BASF, which makes Trelona, publishes no install price or yearly fee; the pest control company sets both. The nearest published figures for a bait system: Orkin lists $1,000 to $2,300 or more for its own termite baiting, and HomeGuide gives $7 to $12 per linear foot or $1,000 to $2,500 on average for a whole home, plus $200 to $400 a year a year to monitor. The stations themselves are a small part: 9 preloaded stations cost about $225 at one retailer's kit price. Checked 14 October 2026.
Why does BASF not publish a Trelona price?+
BASF sells Trelona to pest control companies through authorized distributors, and its own cost worksheet for operators leaves the list price blank. The only install figure BASF prints is in a 2020 sales sheet for operators: $800 per install and $200 per renewal, marked "For example only". It is an illustration of operator revenue, not a price a homeowner can expect.
How often does a Trelona ATBS station need to be inspected?+
At least once a year when every station holds two 124 gram bait cartridges: the label calls this the annual inspection interval and says not to let more than 15 months pass between inspections. Stations with one cartridge are on a 90 or 120 day interval. At each visit the technician replaces any cartridge more than one third eaten. State rules can require more frequent visits, and the contract, not the label minimum, sets how often your operator comes.
How many Trelona stations does a house need?+
The label says the maximum interval between any two stations must not exceed 20 feet where the ground is accessible, with extra stations within about 5 feet of termite activity or conducive spots. A 179 ft perimeter (a square 2,000 sq ft home) needs at least 9. BASF's own estimate for an average home is 15 stations. Ask for the count in the written quote.
Is Trelona cheaper than Sentricon?+
Neither maker publishes a price, so no one can say from published figures. Both labels set the same 20 ft maximum spacing and allow a yearly service, so the station count and the yearly fee in each written quote are what to compare. On HomeGuide's bait rates, 179 ft of perimeter comes to $3,053 to $5,748 over ten years whichever brand is used (our arithmetic).
Who owns Trelona stations if I cancel the service?+
BASF says the pest control company owns the equipment and the customer account, and pays BASF no renewal fee. So the stations in your yard are normally your operator's, not yours. Ask in writing what happens to them if you cancel, and whether a new operator can take them over.
Can I install Trelona ATBS myself?+
The label says the bait is for use by individuals or firms licensed or registered by the state to apply termiticides, and is not for individual resale. Some online stores list the stations, but the label restricts who may use them. A licensed operator also carries the retreatment guarantee a DIY job does not.
Does Trelona work for Formosan termites?+
The label covers subterranean termites without naming species. BASF's own field data cited in its FAQ and longevity bulletin is on native Reticulitermes termites. No operator publishes a separate Formosan price for Trelona, so get the station count and the yearly fee in writing.
Section I / Where to next
Related cost pages
Open file
Termite treatment cost
Every method, the calculator and why published prices disagree.
Open file
Sentricon cost
The other major professional bait system.
Open file
Termidor SC cost
The liquid alternative to bait.
Open file
How long termite treatment lasts
Why bait protection lasts only as long as the service.
Open file
Termite bond cost
Renewal fees and what a bond covers.
Open file
Subterranean termite treatment cost
The termites bait systems are labelled for.
A cost guide, not pest control advice; we are not a pest control company. Read the service agreement before signing.