Bait Station Monitoring Calculator

Station count is calculated by dividing building perimeter by station spacing and rounding up, so both values enter that formula with equal mathematical weight -- perimeter in the numerator and spacing in the denominator. A 10% longer perimeter requires roughly 10% more stations to maintain the same spacing, while a 10% wider spacing setting reduces station count by a similar proportion, which is why neither one dominates the other in this calculation.

Tighter spacing (like the 10 ft NPMA recommendation for high-pressure areas) increases station count for the same perimeter, which raises both installation cost and the per-station inspection charge collected during each monitoring visit -- but the number of visits per year is a separate scheduling decision you set independently, typically quarterly for most properties or monthly where infestation risk is elevated. So spacing changes the cost per visit, while visit frequency is a distinct input that changes how many times per year that per-visit cost gets charged.

Stations required is determined purely by building perimeter and spacing -- a geometric calculation -- while cost per station is a separate price input that only affects the dollar totals (installation cost and first-year total), not the physical count of stations your perimeter requires. A more expensive premium bait station system (like Sentricon versus a generic in-ground station) changes your budget but not how many stations the calculator recommends installing.

Bait stations get damaged by mowers and landscaping equipment, consumed by termite activity, or occasionally removed by wildlife or vandalism over the course of a year, so a percentage of the installed base typically needs replacing annually even with no other changes to the system. This calculator separates that replacement cost from the routine per-visit monitoring fee because it scales with total station count and expected damage rate rather than with how often a technician visits the property.