[Termite Control Issue] Monitoring the Market

Lackluster swarms and the worst housing market in decades have focused new attention on a practice as old as termite treatment itself: monitoring. Professionals have found today’s new monitors — a far cry from traditionally used wooden stakes — increase termite lead flow and revenue while making a great impression with customers.

“(Monitoring) takes me beyond needing to wait for the phone to ring,” said Tomlinson Bomberger Pest Control Operations Manager Ed Van Istendal, Lancaster, Pa.

Chuck Bland, co-owner of Excalibur Termite & Pest Control, Dayton, Ohio, agreed. “You’ve got to have other ways of generating revenue. If you’re going to focus on termite work, (monitoring) is a great way to bring in that extra income that you normally wouldn’t have gotten.”

Manufacturers have turned the R&D spotlight on monitoring to help meet changing market needs. Both Whitmire Micro-Gen and B&G Equipment Company have unveiled new monitoring systems recently. These, along with systems currently available from Dow AgroSciences, HomeGuard Distributors, Angel-Leigh Corp., and 633 Envisions are helping extend the termite season, boost the bottom line and expand service offerings.

“We have a responsibility to help our current customers by helping them overcome this down housing market and lack of swarms,” said Whitmire Micro-Gen Marketing Manager Jeff Vannoy.

A Whitmire Micro-Gen survey of 800 homeowners found 20 percent without termite protection were highly interested in purchasing a monitoring system, and three-fourths of homeowners had some interest. “It tells me there is an unmet need in the marketplace for (professionals) to cross-sell their current base of general pest customers on monitoring services,” Vannoy said. “In the past, PMPs didn’t always charge for monitoring services, but based on our research we’re convinced homeowners will pay for a monitoring program that is aesthetically pleasing and achieves termite hits.”

Dow AgroSciences’ market research found 80 percent of homeowners would want a professional treatment if termites were found on their property.

Monitors work for the professional 24-7, said B&G Equipment Professional Products Vice President Joe Malinowski. Once termites are detected, homeowners likely will hire operators who installed monitors for liquid or bait termite treatment, he explained.

The goal is to move homeowners to a protection level service, Vannoy said. “By showing homeowners termites found in a monitoring station, the PMP’s chance of upselling a bait job or a liquid treatment is greatly enhanced,” he said. “The bottom line — it’s all about investing in quality monitors and charging the homeowner for your service.”

FOOT IN THE DOOR. Chris Ulerick, sales and service manager of Tursi’s Lawn Care and Home Pest Control, West Berlin, N.J., agreed. Last year, seven of his 40 customers using Dow Halo Electronic Termite Detection monitors switched to bait programs. “Every one of them was an upgrade from the Halo (monitors),” said Ulerick. “It’s our first step. It’s my cheap way in the door to prove you have a problem.” 

Some professionals offer termite monitoring as an add-on to quarterly pest programs. But at Tomlinson Bomberger, monitoring is included in its quarterly Four Season Pest Program, for which “hundreds” of upscale customers pay a 20 percent premium. “To me it’s worth taking the slight economic hit on the front end,” said Van Istendal. “In the long run you make it up.”

ChemTec Pest Control, Saddlebrook, N.J., offers free termite treatment to customers who add monitoring to their quarterly service, said President Stanley Saltzman. About two in every 10 homeowners sign up for the $200-a-year service, which relies on Termiscope T2 Visual Alert monitors by 633 Envisions. Saltzman began offering the service last July. “I believe it will be a profitable program. It certainly offers the customer a considerable benefit, and it offers us a benefit. We think that the fee is going to cover it.”

Up-selling customers on termite protection can be relatively easy, agreed pest management professionals. “(Monitors are) a visual sales tool,” said Ulerick, whose technicians carry Ziploc sandwich bags in their trucks so they can show infested stations to homeowners. “It’s my way of proving to people that I’m not just trying to sell them something.”

Bland, who uses Whitmire Advance Termite Bait Systems retrofitted with Green Eye Visual Alert cartridges from Angel-Leigh Corp., offers existing bait customers the Green Eye installation at cost. “It’s a benefit to us,” said Bland, who currently has 250 customers using the cartridges. “Once we’ve got them in, we know it’s going to save us time and money.” Upgrading monitoring-only systems is simple, since “we already have the system in place.”

Pest management professionals also are using monitors to validate treatment effectiveness. HomeGuard Pest Control President Glenn Gordon, Largo, Fla., installed an early version of his HomeGuard Subterranean Termite Monitoring System following treatment of the historic Belleview Mido Resort Hotel — the world’s largest occupied wooden structure at more than 8 million cubic feet.

“We wanted to monitor the traffic of subterranean termites coming to the structure” and chart its decline, he said.

VALUE IN INNOVATION. Monitors’ innovative designs help the bottom line. “With the Green Eye in, checking monitors takes one-tenth the amount of time,” said Excalibur’s Bland. “Before, a technician would spend about 20 minutes opening up stations and pulling out matrix cartridges to look for termite activity. Now he’s just got (to look for) a little green dot on top.” Saltzman said. “(Technicians) don’t have to lift anything out, just do a visual inspection to see if the indicator popped up.”

“By saving me time, it saves me money,” said Bland, who added that his technicians have doubled the number of inspections performed each day. As a result, he has not had to increase prices due to rising gasoline costs.

The HomeGuard monitor, which provides a clear view of its cellulose matrix for easy inspection, creates a thermal shadow similar to a fallen, decomposing tree. This attracts an average of 2,500 termites in a few weeks, and the strong sub-colonization makes it easier to eliminate the colony, Gordon said. He based his design on the 1980 Ettershank, Ettershank and Whitford study that determined termite foraging is not random. Rather, termites search the soil for a thermal anomaly, generally five degrees lower than the ambient temperature, Gordon explained. “(The monitor) really does trick them into thinking that there is something incredibly large there that is exactly at the temperature…of food,” he said.

Technicians also like monitors. “They’re making more money because of it,” said Bland.

Adds Van Istendal, “When they find the infestation, they can sell the treatment to the customer right then and there, and of course they’re getting paid a commission on that.”

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. Firms that offer termite monitoring services gain a competitive advantage, said Van Istendal. “Halo (monitors are) just one of the things we’re doing that none of the other companies are doing.”

Customers love that they’re checked electronically, which sounds high-tech and upscale, he explained. “We’ve created a whole new niche for our services and it allows us to charge a little bit more than our competitors. We’re probably 20 percent higher than most of our competitors, but we’re able to sell the difference.”

Borden Pest Control, North Augusta, S.C., has branded its termite service, which “gives us the ability to separate ourselves from our competition,” said General Manager Rich Borden Jr. Termiscope monitors play an integral role.

In the last two years, he’s installed monitors at 1,000 homes as part of his Borden B9 Termite Control Program. Technicians wear B9 Termite Control patches; print ads and monitors carry the B9 logo and contact information; and a television spot offers to “build a protective zone around your home with early warning technology to stop re-infestation.”

Because homeowners cannot “see” most termite treatments, monitors are a tangible reminder of the service, which helps retain accounts, Borden said.
Cold-weather months are a great time for outbound calling campaigns that sell new monitoring services, said Vannoy. Installing monitors during winter keeps technicians busy, plus the devices will be in place for the start of the spring season, he said.

CUSTOMER KUDOS. Monitoring programs appeal to homeowners on many levels. Some can’t afford to pay for a full termite treatment, but know they need something, said Borden, citing the Southeast’s heavy termite pressure.

“Customers love it,” added Bland. “They feel like they’re a participant in what we’re doing. Every time they mow, they’re checking (the monitors),” which helps keep them from being buried by dirt and mulch. If a homeowner notices a missing green eye, Bland gets a call. “I’m able to react faster to their needs, and they’re happy with that.”

HomeGuard’s Gordon agreed. He has had customers spot termites through the monitor’s lid within 24 hours of installation. “Believe it or not, the customers are happy and excited, which is kind of a weird phenomenon,” he said. “I’ve been in this business for 37 years and I’ve never experienced … customers happy about the fact that they found subterranean termites (on their property).”

And, firms with lawn care operations can score customer service points by proactively inspecting monitors while on the property. “It’s just one more stroke to make (the customer) feel special,” said Van Istendal. Ulerick agreed.

“When my guys are out fertilizing the lawn, they’re also looking for moles and voles and will scan the monitors.”

Ulerick has installed monitors prior to customers putting their homes up for sale. “Being monitored” looks good to potential buyers, he said. “It’s a peace-of-mind service.”

And it’s also a service that can help professionals control their own destiny by creating their own swarms, added Whitmire Micro-Gen’s Vannoy.

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine.

Monitor Primer

Monitors provide early detection of termite activity that could pose a risk to structures. Following are some tips to make their use more effective: Monitor effectiveness depends on correct placement. Too much moisture can cause false-positive readings and the number of monitors needed depends on a structure’s size. Install monitors where conducive conditions like wood-to-earth contact, house additions, slabs, raised dirt-filled areas and foundation quirks exist, said Tomlinson Bomberger Pest Control Operations Manager Ed Van Istendal. Nicotine and chlorinated water can drive termites away from monitors, cautioned HomeGuard Pest Control President Glenn Gordon.
Here’s a look at some popular monitoring systems:

633 Envisions
www.termiscope.com
626/938-1340

Termiscope T2 Visual Alert — A patented visual indicator pops up to signal that the device’s wax corrugated insert has been compromised by termites, thus reducing inspection time. The unit is available in green, brown or black and can be printed with company contact information.

Angel-Leigh Corp.
www.greeneyealert.com
941/286-8390

Green Eye Visual Alerts — Gravity pulls a green weight down from the top of the glass cartridge as termites consume the wood matrix below. Cartridges can be used to retrofit existing bait station systems. Complete interior and exterior monitoring devices are available.

Dow AgroSciences
www.Dowagro.com/ppm/halo
800/352-6776

Dow Halo Electronic Termite Detection — If termites have disturbed the paper and wood “circuit” in the ground tube, the hand-held indicator placed on the monitor’s electrical contacts flashes a red warning light and makes an audible signal. A green light indicates the matrix is untouched.

HomeGuard Distributors
www.homeguarddistributors.com
727/595-3502

HomeGuard Subterranean Termite Monitoring System — The unit’s semi-transparent lid allows sunlight to form condensation, creating an exaggerated “thermal shadow” to attract termites. Solid walls help prevent entry of surface-applied pesticides, chlorinated water, roots and non-target species to the cellulose matrix, which can be replaced with a bait-impregnated matrix without disturbing foragers.

Two new devices recently became available to pest management professionals:

Whitmire Micro-Gen
www.wmmg.com
800/777-8570

Whitmire Micro-Gen Reveal Termite Monitoring System — The Reveal Termite Monitoring System features a station top that is similar to Whitmire Micro-Gen’s Advance Termite Bait System, but with a smaller, 2-inch housing with only wooden monitors in the units. The station head appeals to homeowners because it is unobtrusive and looks like a sprinkler head, the company reports. Technicians use Whitmire Micro-Gen’s Spider Station Access Tool to open the cap. The monitors are designed only to reveal the presence of termites. There is no bait tube or treatment component available for use in the Reveal monitors.

B&G Equipment Company
www.bgequip.com/TermiteMonitor.htm
678/688-5601

B&G Equipment TM-1
Termite Monitor — Technicians snap open the device’s lid to inspect the matrix cartridge for termite activity. Its flat-sided design fits close to foundations and sidewalks. The green and brown units, which can be hot-stamped with logo and contact information, offer an economical monitoring solution, the company reported.

BASF Unveils New Prevention-Themed Consumer Marketing Support

BASF recently introduced a comprehensive line of prevention-themed consumer marketing materials and support for pest management professionals. The new campaign seeks to help Termidor termiticide/insecticide Partners extend their termite-selling season beyond the traditional swarm season by positioning “prevention” as a year-round sales proposition for homeowners.

“Following the notion that swarm seasons should not dictate business strategy, BASF recognized an opportunity to provide Partners with a program to keep business flourishing in the slower months,” said Cynthia Gigandet, business manager, BASF. “Honing in on the theme ’Off Seasons are Preventable,’ our new line of marketing materials will provide PMPs with the tools to sell termite prevention to customers and transform company staff and technicians into prevention ambassadors.”

Partners can visit the new Termidor Prevention Center at www.PestControlFacts.org/prevention to view and learn about the new materials available from BASF. With the objective to provide pest management professionals with a full line of materials to help them sell more termite treatments year-round, the prevention center hosts homeowner materials such as a new tri-fold brochure, homeowner DVD, door hangers, local sales ads and a prevention one-sheet. Partners will also be able to order and customize prevention-focused TV spots for use in their market with either a five- or 15-second tag.

BASF showcased a dedicated prevention section at its booth during last year’s PestWorld Convention, in Orlando, Fla. Members of the BASF team were on hand to step Partners through the new consumer marketing materials via a new brochure, “Profiting from Prevention with Termidor,” and sales and technical representatives offered customized solutions on how the new prevention campaign can best complement and add value to Partners’ current business models.

“The ultimate goal of the BASF prevention program is to extend the termite-selling season to a year-round opportunity for our partners, and to provide them with the best tools and most flexible application methods to execute an intelligent business strategy,” Gigandet said.