[Termite Control Issue] There’s More to Killing Termites than Killing Termites

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles featuring PCT’s coverage of the National Pest Management Association’s annual convention and tradeshow, PestWorld 2007.

If killing termites were the only challenge to pest control professionals, termite control would be simple. But systems to control termites are only part of the overall termite control picture, according to three experts who spoke during a panel discussion at PestWorld 2007 — Dr. Brian Forschler, University of Georgia; Rick Bell, Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta; and Joe Hope, Bayer Environmental Science.

According to Bell, the challenge is a process of termite management as much as control. Inspection is crucial to the process. “We treat the house on the 15th trip with the same amount of respect and care as the first trip and set the level of customer expectation on the first visit.” Bell cautions PCOs to focus on the house at hand and not anticipate the next stop, what they did the day before or tomorrow. “Don’t let distractions prevent you from focusing on the problems at hand. Each house you go into must be viewed in a fresh light,” he said. He warns that if customers aren’t taken care of today, there will be fewer of them in the future.

“It’s important,” he said, “to know when to treat and when not to treat and be willing to talk with customers about those decisions.”

LEARNING CONTROL. Termite management is as much of a learning process as it is a control process. “We can never learn too much about how houses are built,” Bell said. “The process of working with builders is an ongoing evolution as conditions and products change.”

Because the building industry is ever changing, everyone — including pest control companies — needs to be involved in establishing “green” building standards. In fact, the “green” movement is not yet defined for the pest control industry; pest management professionals must take an active role in defining what this means for the industry, he said. Otherwise, a definition will be handed to them.

Bell said the industry has to be better at what it does and one way to do that is through training. Forschler concurred. “

“In order to conduct a proper inspection, develop an appropriate action plan or implement an intervention, you have to know the kind of things that would colonize the structure as a feeding site,” Forschler said. “You have to have a clear idea of what’s on that property and be knowledgeable of the biology and behavior of the insect. Knowing the role construction processes and landscaping plays into termite management is imperative.”

MOISTURE AND FOOD. Forschler says that there are factors that PCOs can’t control with termite problems, but there are two things that they have the ability to manage — moisture and food availability. For example, cellulose debris against a foundation can serve as food, while moisture for termite infestations can come from air conditioner condensate lines. It’s critical to inform the customer of these problems and see that the conducive condition is removed.

Once an inspection is completed, it’s vital to identify the pest. “Often termites and ants are misidentified by inspectors and it’s a sad testimony to our industry when this happens. The next step, then, is to develop an action plan for your service and for the customer,” Forschler said.

The variety of termite treatment options continues to grow each year, but simple measures can affect termite control in combination with a chemical or baiting treatment. To reduce termite food sources, customers must remove stumps near foundations. Condensation around air conditioner pipes and water pipe leaks around foundations provide moisture sources.

It’s important, he says, to understand how water flows around the property, then implement an action plan to divert water and remove food sources. “Customers need to know that what you’re doing each time you implement an action plan is using your knowledge of many disciplines. If your plan is not working, re-evaluate and figure out why you didn’t get to the source of the problem.” He advises PCOs to explain that termite management is something that never ends. “Educate your customer that you’ve done the inspection and developed and implemented an action plan. If it doesn’t work, it’s not because you did something wrong; it’s because the process needs to continue. Explain that you are doing everything possible within the context of the tools available to you,” he said.

CRUDE BEGINNINGS. Hope said that termite control had very crude beginnings in the 1940s with copper compounds, then organochlorines. This was followed by organophosphates, pyrethroids and during the last 10 years, an integrated approach including non-repellent, soil-applied products and baits. Bayer’s focus in its environmental research center has been working with non-repellent materials. Non-repellents remain undetected by termites when they enter the treated area, and then are transferred into the colony.

CONCLUSION. If there’s one thing these experts agree on, it’s the fact that termite control and management is not an easy task. But there’s more to it than applying materials and baiting. The customer plays a large part in the process, as does the learning required on the part of the PCO.

The author is president of Compelling Communications.