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A termite bait station for installation in the ground includes a tubular outer housing and a tubular inner bait cartridge inserted into the housing, each having circumferentially elongate apertures therethrough to allow termites to access bait in the cartridge. Each aperture in the cartridge is disp

A termite bait station for installation in the ground includes a tubular outer housing and a tubular inner bait cartridge inserted into the housing, each having circumferentially elongate apertures therethrough to allow termites to access bait in the cartridge. Each aperture in the cartridge is disposed between a pair of spaced, parallel ribs that extend in the circumferential direction. The ribs reduce the radial gap that must be traversed by a termite passing from the outer housing to the bait cartridge. The ribs also form circumferentially extending channels for producing a channeling effect tending to lead termites into the apertures in the cartridge.

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1. A device for monitoring and/or controlling termite activity, comprising:a tubular outer housing adapted to be implanted in the ground, the outer housing having an upper open end and having a plurality of circumferentially elongate openings through a tubular side wall of the outer housing for pass

1. A device for monitoring and/or controlling termite activity, comprising:a tubular outer housing adapted to be implanted in the ground, the outer housing having an upper open end and having a plurality of circumferentially elongate openings through a tubular side wall of the outer housing for passage of termites through the openings into an interior of the outer housing;a tubular bait cartridge slidably insertable into and removable from the outer housing via the upper open end thereof, the bait cartridge adapted to contain a quantity of termite-edible material therein, the bait cartridge having a plurality of circumferentially elongate apertures through a tubular side wall of the bait cartridge for passage of termites through the apertures, at least some of the apertures being at least partially aligned with at least some of the openings in the outer housing when the bait cartridge is installed in the outer housing so that termites can access the termite-edible material by passing through the openings and the apertures; andeach circumferentially elongate aperture in the bait cartridge being disposed between an opposed pair of longitudinally spaced, circumferentially extending ribs that protrude radially outwardly beyond a tubular outer surface of the bait cartridge toward an inner surface of the outer housing for reducing a gap that must be traversed by a termite passing from the outer housing to the bait cartridge, each opposed pair of ribs forming a circumferentially extending channel open at opposite ends of the channel even when the ribs abut the inner surface of the outer housing, whereby termites are circumferentially guided by the channels into the associated apertures in the bait cartridge. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge includes a plurality of the apertures longitudinally spaced apart along the bait cartridge and the outer housing includes a plurality of the openings longitudinally spaced apart along the outer housing, and wherein the apertures are located so as to be longitudinally aligned with the openings in the outer housing when the bait cartridge is properly installed in the outer housing. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge includes a plurality of the apertures circumferentially spaced apart about a circumference of the bait cartridge. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the outer housing includes a plurality of the openings circumferentially spaced apart about a circumference of the outer housing, the openings and the apertures being structured and arranged such that the apertures are circumferentially at least partially aligned with the openings in any rotational orientation of the bait cartridge relative to the outer housing. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge includes a plurality of the apertures longitudinally spaced apart along and circumferentially spaced apart about the bait cartridge, and the outer housing includes a plurality of the openings longitudinally spaced apart along and circumferentially spaced apart about the outer housing. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the ribs of each opposed pair project from upper and lower edges of one of the apertures. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge includes a viewing window through which the interior of the bait cartridge can be viewed to monitor how much termite-edible material remains in the bait cartridge. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the viewing window comprises a solid portion of the tubular side wall in which no apertures are formed, the bait cartridge being constructed of substantially transparent material. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the solid portion of the tubular side wall of the bait cartridge that forms the viewing window is provided with a smoother surface finish than other portions of the bait cartridge so as to enhance transparency of the viewing window. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge is formed of food-grade polyethylene. 11. The devic e of claim 1, wherein each aperture in the bait cartridge has a width of about 2-3 mm and a length of about 25 mm. 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the ribs of each opposed pair are longitudinally spaced apart by a distance of about 2-3 mm. 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge is generally circular in cross-section and has a diameter of approximately 35-40 mm, and has four longitudinally extending rows of apertures approximately equally spaced about a circumference of the bait cartridge, each row having apertures longitudinally spaced apart about 8 mm on center. 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the ribs have a radial extent of about 2 mm. 15. The device of claim 1, wherein the bait cartridge has a closed lower end and an open upper end, and a cap removably engageable with the open upper end of the bait cartridge. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the cap and bait cartridge have complementary locking members that engage each other upon engagement of the cap with the upper end of the bait cartridge to retain the cap in place. 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the cap includes an upwardly projecting handle. 18. A termite bait cartridge for insertion into a tubular outer housing implanted in the ground, the bait cartridge being adapted to contain termite-edible material, and comprising:a tubular side wall extending from a lower end to an upper end thereof;a bottom wall joined to the lower end of the tubular side wall to close the lower end;a plurality of circumferentially elongate apertures formed through the tubular side wall to allow termites to access an interior of the bait cartridge, each aperture having an upper edge, a lower edge, and two opposite end edges; anda circumferentially extending upper rib protruding from the upper edge of each aperture radially outwardly beyond an outer surface of the tubular side wall and a circumferentially extending lower rib protruding from the lower edge of each aperture radially outwardly beyond the outer surface of the tubular side wall, the ribs reducing a gap that must be traversed by a termite passing from the outer housing to the bait cartridge and also forming circumferentially extending channels for producing a channeling effect tending to lead termites into the apertures, and wherein the end edges of the apertures are free of any radially outward protrusions so as not to disrupt the channeling effect of the ribs. 19. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the bait cartridge includes a viewing window through which the interior of the bait cartridge can be viewed to monitor how much termite-edible material remains in the bait cartridge. 20. The bait cartridge of claim 19, wherein the viewing window comprises a solid portion of the tubular side wall in which no apertures are formed, the bait cartridge being constructed of substantially transparent material. 21. The bait cartridge of claim 20, wherein the solid portion of the tubular side wall of the bait cartridge that forms the viewing window is polished to have a smoother surface finish than other portions of the bait cartridge. 22. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the bait cartridge is formed of food-grade polyethylene. 23. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein each aperture in the bait cartridge has a width of about 2-3 mm and a length of about 25 mm. 24. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the upper and lower ribs of each aperture are longitudinally spaced apart about 2-3 mm. 25. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the bait cartridge is generally circular in cross-section and has a diameter of approximately 35-40 mm, and has a plurality of longitudinally extending rows of apertures approximately equally spaced about a circumference of the bait cartridge, each row having apertures longitudinally spaced apart. 26. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the ribs have a radial extent of about 2 mm. 27. The bait cartridge of claim 18, wherein the upper end of the tubular side wall is open a nd the bait cartridge includes a cap removably engageable with the open upper end of the tubular side wall. 28. The bait cartridge of claim 27, wherein the cap and tubular side wall have complementary locking members that engage each other upon engagement of the cap with the upper end of the tubular side wall to retain the cap in place. 29. The bait cartridge of claim 27, wherein the cap includes an upwardly projecting handle.