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Termite Issue
Pest Controllers
Pest controllers have a large ownership of the termite issue. For many years our industry was polarised to two groups. Those who did the work for the builders for less than the chemical cost of doing treatments properly, and those who picked up the pieces. Our industry association was extremely lax in their dealing with the termite issue spanning over 20 years and continuing to this day. For more information on this issue, please visit our AEPMA page.
Prior to July, 1995, we worked with chemicals that were very forgiving from a treatment perspective, and for a long time the treatment failures occurring from under treating properties were infrequent enough that nobody wanted to take action. The transition to the newer chemicals saw treatment failures accelerate, and the termite issue rise to it's current profile. The newer chemicals need a much greater attention to detail in their application to provide an effective barrier, and too many pest controllers tried to work with the newer chemicals the way they did with the old.
The left hand photo above shows mortar muck remaining on top of the footings after a number of treatments have been done by a southside pest control company. They did the pre-construction work on the job, and after a number of treatment failures, they now want to charge the client $3,500.00 to do a retrospective Granitgard installation. They're not planning on removing bricks, and getting the Granitgard into the brick cavity where it can protect against termite entry through failings of the perimeter, slab/footing joint, and the foundation. They want to install Granitgard to the exterior in the same area as the chemical barrier, and leave the slab/footing joint and the foundation unprotected. If they apply the Granitgard the same way they install a chemical barrier, they're going to waste another $3,500.00 of their client's money, and be another company doing our industry's reputation great harm. The right hand photo is damage from a major project builder's home that the Building Services Authority repaired under their insurance provisions. We've been told that the builder has not contributed to the repair bill in this instance despite there being a number of building issues that contributed to the termite infestation.
The additional effort required to produce an effective barrier is something that staff in general do not respond well to. It didn't take too long for staff to find out that some pest control companies required additional effort, and some didn't. Those that do the work properly find it difficult to compete with those taking short cuts. Those taking short cuts can afford to pay their staff more. Staff travel to remote locations to do termite work. Employers rely on the integrity of the hired staff to complete works properly. Some staff will make the effort required.
Chemical testing is a relatively simple process. To our view, where treatment failures of chemical barriers occur, a chemical test should be done under the slab (where the home owner has had no impact), and where the chemical tests show that less than the required amount of chemical was applied, the applicator and their company should be charged with fraud. Rather than charge people with fraud through the Queensland Building Tribunal where direction and monetary penalties are applied, we believe they should be charged through the criminal courts where custodial sentences can be applied for repeat offenders.
Wouldn't that send a shock through the pest control industry. Wouldn't pest controllers suddenly be overwhelmingly motivated to do the right thing? It sounds like a harsh solution, but self regulation of the pest control industry simply hasn't worked. To those within our industry who look upon a solution like this as being bad for our industry, I simply ask if you have something to hide. If you've done the right thing, you have nothing to fear. We desperately need to get some integrity back into our industry, and if we don't do this, it will be thrust upon us.
The different bodies above in red are links to further information on each one. Please follow the links. © Mark Porter 2002
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