HAROLD SCHEER TERMITE CO., INC. 5730 NW 39th Expressway Oklahoma City, OK 73122-2111 (405) 722-0007 Fax (405) 491-1042

August 10, 2000

To Whom It May Concern:

The purpose of this letter is to inform the homeowners of our State that the termite bait stations currently being sold here (Sentricon, Exterra, and First Line) are, in my opinion, designed to take your money and are very unlikely to eliminate termites from your home. I am not an entomologist.  I am not a pesticide regulator.  I am not a voice of authority.  I am, however, a voice of experience. I have been providing termite control to homes and businesses in Oklahoma City for nearly thirty years, and I inspect over 1500 homes for termites every year.  I have seen many “miracle chemicals” in that time and have tried most of them. None have been nearly as impressive as their ad campaigns.

I have read the data and the labels for all the termite bait stations. I have read the instructions.  I have studied the purported results.  I have seen the instructional videos. I have physically inspected some of the stations that have been installed around homes in metro Oklahoma City. I’m not impressed! Nearly every bait station I have checked is either full of water or full of ants.  The termite control companies who are claiming “Termite Colony Elimination” with the use of these in-ground bait stations sometimes fail to tell you that the label on these products state that they will not eliminate the colony if certain conditions exist; namely:

  1. If the weather is too hot, they won’t work!
  2. If the weather is too cold, they don’t work!
  3. If the soil is too dry, they don’t work!
  4. If the soil is too wet, they don’t work!
  5. If every termite in the colony doesn’t eat it, they don’t work!
  6. Or, if the termites have an alternative food source (such as your house), they don’t work!!!

The termite control industry has seen many changes since 1986 when the termiticide chlordane was taken away by the E.P.A. Even though the replacement termiticides used today are less effective, in terms of both longevity and strength, they still provide homeowners the best opportunity to protect structures from termites.  In October of 1999 the Federal Trade Commission and eight Attorney’s General sought an injunction to require the marketer of one of the bait stations to modify the claims made in its advertisements and promotional materials.  The federal and state officials alleged the company’s claims about the use and effectiveness of the product lack adequate substantiation.

In particular, the officials allege that the advertisements imply, without substantiation, that the use of the product alone is effective in preventing termite infestations and damage in homes; that it is effective in eliminating active termite infestations in homes; and, that it is as effective or more effective than chemical treatment! The eight states that joined the FTC did not include our state.  I have met with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture on several occasions to discuss the limitations of the bait stations that I, and many of my competitors, find alarming.  Although the regulators may agree, they don’t evaluate results, or help you decide whether to buy them or not.  They just do their job and enforce the “Law.”  They say, read the label. It is the law! Termites are social insects, work as a team, and must construct above-ground earthen tunnels to reach the wood in your home.  The building of these tubes or tunnels is a tedious, time-consuming process by an insect only a quarter of an inch long. To think that the colony would wake up one morning and decide to leave the studs in your wall and construct a new tunnel system to get to an outdoor stick in the ground is beyond comprehension to me.  In thirty years, I have never seen termites leave a food source voluntarily!

Our objections to the baiting systems are primarily that they are allowed to be used as a stand-alone process to control termites. Basic logic, knowledge of termite behavior, and the printed label limitations are cause for great concern for everyone.

To the Department of Agriculture and the EPA, I say: If it is your job to protect the public, then take a stand against allowing bait stations to be used without some chemical treatment to an already-infested home. To the “giants” of our industry, I say:  I know why you are switching from State and EPA regulated liquid termiticide applications, and it has nothing to do with a more effective fight against termites.  It has everything to do with decreased liability. To the homeowners of Oklahoma, I say:  Read The Label – don’t listen to the hype!  Did you know that your only warranty for the failure of these bait stations to rid your home of termites is, at the discretion of the manufacturer, either:

  1. The return of monies spent for the cost of the stations. (Considerably less than the actual price you paid for installation and monitoring.)
  2. Some more bait stations – FREE!!!

If and when termite bait stations become more than just another tool in the fight against termites, I will write another letter. In the meantime, I wouldn’t bet my house or yours that they do anything more than kill a few of the dumb ones!Respectfully, Harold Scheer Scheer Termite Co.

(As published at: http://www.syix.com/emu/html/sentricon.html)