Termite Management: PMPs Share Their Don’ts

Don’t take photos of a customer’s property without permission, says one PMP. Photo courtesy of, and copyrighted by, Gene White, pmimages@earthlink.net

According to our experts, there are several things you should avoid doing if possible. Here is their collective list of Don’ts:

“Don’t do partial jobs because the client doesn’t want to pay for the job to be done the way you know it must be done. Termite jobs are a high insurance liability and you must know when to pass on a job.” — Josh Alpert, President, Green Earth Pest Control, New York

“When doing an inspection or treatment, don’t take pictures on the customer’s property without prior approval.” — Edward F. Schwartz, Owner, Paladin Pest Control, Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Don’t forget to resell your service and explain your findings to the homeowner every time you check bait stations or reinspect a structure.” — Kevin Hathorne, BCE, Technical Director, Terminix Services, Columbia, S.C.

“Never drill until you know exactly what you’re drilling into, how deep you must drill and what’s behind the surface you’re drilling.” — Jay Bruesch, BCE, Technical Director, Plunkett’s Pest Control, Fridley, Minn.

“Don’t drill without a “stop-in-time” product or equipment in place. This will help prevent drilling through a customer’s hidden pipes.” — Tony DeJesus, Technical Director, Big Blue Bug Solutions, Province, R.I.

“Don’t speak badly about other companies in our industry. That is a pet peeve of mine. Some companies in other industries have a reputation for talking badly about their competitors. I would rather talk about what my company can do to help with a termite problem than talk about what someone else can’t.” — Tim Kendrick, Termite Technical Leader, Wayne’s Environmental Services, Birmingham, Ala.

“Don’t arrive at the account without all of the necessary equipment to do the job and when you arrive, stay as long as it takes to complete the job. You shouldn’t have to leave the site because you left something back at the office.” — Edward F. Schwartz, Owner, Paladin Pest Control, Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Don’t make assumptions. Always ask questions about construction and other important information when solving a termite problem. — Jeremy Clark, General Manager, Dugas Pest Control, Baton Rouge, La.

“Don’t forget to check for signs of activity on HVAC trunk lines and interior piers of the crawlspace. And look up from the baseboards on slabs to check for small holes and pieces of dirt in the drywall.” — Kevin Hathorne, BCE, Technical Director, Terminix Services, Columbia, S.C.

“Never show up late, lie to a client to protect you or your company, or gouge a client with unnecessary services.” — Stacy A. Durfee, President, ABC Pest Management, Virginia Beach, Va.

“Don’t underprice the job. If you’re going to do the job right, you need to charge the right price to cover all expenses and make a profit. After all, that’s why you’re in business. Cutting corners to keep the price down and get the sale will prevent you from providing what the customer is probably expecting, which is complete protection from termites.” — Josh Alpert, President, Green Earth Pest Control, New York

“Don’t forget to hydrate! Termite management and control is hot, hard work and often requires techs to squeeze into small spaces. Drinking plenty of water when doing this work is essential.” — Jay Bruesch, BCE, Technical Director, Plunkett’s Pest Control, Fridley, Minn.

“Never overpromise in terms of how quickly an infestation will be eradicated. Heavy infestations can take months to completely eradicate.” — Jeremy Clark, General Manager, Dugas Pest Control, Baton Rouge, La.

“Don’t offer damage guarantees unless you want your insurance rates to go through the roof or lose your insurance completely. This will affect your general pest control division — your bread and butter.” — Josh Alpert, President, Green Earth Pest Control, New York

You can reach PMP Senior Editor Will Nepper at wnepper@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3775.