As someone working in termite control, I’d love to say every inspector out there is honest and customer-focused—but that hasn’t been my experience. Most of us likely start with good intentions. But job pressures, sales goals, and company culture can push inspectors to stretch the truth and rationalize questionable practices.

The culture of a company plays a major role. Larger firms like Orkin and Terminix are publicly traded and must show growth to shareholders. That pressure trickles down. More sales, bigger sales—that becomes the goal. At Terminix, we were required to offer four services, even if the customer didn’t need them. Truly Nolen isn’t publicly traded, but it faces similar pressures, often stacking jobs at the end of the month or offering service packages that benefit the company more than the customer.

The result?

Some termite inspectors sell treatments that won’t solve the problem. I worked with one who sold local treatments even when inaccessible attic areas had clear signs of termites—areas that only tenting could properly address. He did this because he knew that if every other company was recommending tenting, and the customer didn’t want to tent, they’d likely go with his alternative. He was more focused on making the sale than solving the problem.

Others sell services the customer doesn’t need. At Truly Nolen, subterranean termite treatments were often sold based on conditions conducive to infestation—not actual evidence of termites.

Truly also pushed warranty plans that charged monthly fees “just in case” subterranean termites showed up. But that meant customers were depending on inspectors to find something that would only cost the company money to treat.

Job stacking—especially at the end of the month—leads to incomplete treatments. At Truly Nolen, our manager would schedule techs for four jobs in one day, far more than a termite technician could reasonably complete.

Some large companies don’t offer comprehensive alternative treatments. So, if an inspector finds a few drywood termite infestations, their only high-ticket option might be tenting. Guess what they’ll push?

How can homeowners protect themselves?

• Don’t just take the termite inspector’s word—ask to see the evidence.
• Request a walk-through and ask for photos from the attic or crawlspace.
• Be skeptical of treatments recommended solely due to “conditions conducive.”
• Ask: “If this were your mother’s house, what would you recommend?”
• If one inspector finds something others didn’t, ask to see proof.
• If three inspectors recommend fumigation and one doesn’t, be skeptical.

You don’t owe a big termite company extra revenue. Pay for the service you need—not the one you might need someday. And if you’re going to invest in a termite preventative treatment, choose one that lasts—like borates, which don’t degrade over time. A subterranean termite treatment has a shelf life of about eight years, so why have it completed a few years sooner than necessary?