Future = Growth

Most PMPs expected termite revenue to increase in 2022. More than half (52 percent) anticipated it to increase somewhat, while 12 percent expected it to rise significantly, found the PCT survey.

“It’s a great money maker. I’m expecting it to get busier, just the way the (housing) growth is going” in South Florida, said Jaime Vasquez, Matador Pest Control.

Termite work accounts for 70 percent of overall revenue at Bill’s Pest & Termite Control, which is growing. “It’s a great business to be in. In Phoenix, it’s easy to be optimistic,” said Bill Trott.

Termite service will remain a steady source of income for The Bug Man. “I think we’ll always have a pretty good business in termites. I don’t see it growing greatly, and I don’t see it decreasing greatly. They’re persistent here” in Arkansas, said Dwight Howard, operations manager of The Bug Man in Little Rock.

More than half (52 percent) of PMPs agreed termites were plentiful, pervasive and a source of income for the next five to 10 years. How service is provided may shift, however. William Moham of Arrow Exterminators says he expects more homeowners to embrace eco-friendly termite control options. “It’s a good way to protect your house, but it’s also much more of an environmentally safe way to protect your house against those particular insects,” he said.

Preventive termite treatment also will become more popular, said Brandon Tarrant, Black Diamond Pest Control. “We’re seeing customers who enjoy that front-end protection where they don’t ever have to worry about it; the peace of mind knowing they can sell their home and they’re already protected, they’re already under warranty,” he said.

A hiccup to growth: labor. Green Flash Pest and Termite Control, which aims to grow its termite business $500,000 a year, can’t find employees. “To get that kind of growth, I’m going to need to get another guy in here or another two guys in here. I’ve been trying to find a (termite) inspector now for four months,” said Troy Hook. He said competition for inspectors was “insane,” with some companies offering $2,000 signing bonuses.

National Exterminating likewise needed “athletic bodies” to support growth, said Scott Monds. “We live in the crawlspace” and do a lot of walking, and finding people to do this work is getting harder, he said.