While many PCOs have found termite control to be a profitable and important service offering that has been instrumental in the growth of their business, it’s not a service for everyone.
PCT recently surveyed our readers about the termite market, asking What is the biggest reason you don’t offer termite control?
Patrick Carter, president of Healthy Home Termite & Pest Control, Acworth, Ga., said his company does offer termite services, but he certainly understands why some PCOs decide not to involve themselves with termite work.
“Probably the No. 1 thing is liability, being responsible if there is termite damage and there is a major claim,” he said.
Liability concerns were indeed the biggest concern raised by PCT readers with 42 percent responding that it was the No. 1 reason they are not involved in the termite market.
The challenge of finding termite technicians was cited by 13 percent of respondents as the top reason they have avoided the termite market. Compared to general pest control, termite work is more involved, often requiring drilling and trenching, which is labor- and time-intensive. “If it’s a one-man operation a termite job could take most of the day — and it’s harder to find workers who you can train to do this type of work,” Carter said.
Climate and geography also play a factor. Thirty-five percent of respondents cited lack of termite pressure as the main reason they have avoided the termite market. Termites, generally speaking, are more commonly found in warmer climates, like the Southeast (from North Carolina to central Texas and south to the Gulf Coast and Florida) and in California.
“We are not involved in termite work for our market. We have very few pockets of termites around us, that it’s not worth getting into,” said Scott Hall, CEO of EcoServe, which is located in Western New York, a colder region of North America.
On the flip side, in termite-prone Southern Missouri, Brad Dutoit, owner of Jones Pest Control, Billings, Mo., said “I am not aware of any PCOs near me that don’t offer termite control and am not sure why some would not.”
Dutoit also cited the time it takes to do one termite treatment vs. multiple general pest control applications as a reason why PCOs might not offer termite control. “Personally, I prefer staying in one location all day for a termite treatment rather than the expense of driving all over for multiple general pest treatments and my revenue is higher,” he said.
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