Questions to Ask Termite Control Providers

Selecting a termite control provider involves more than comparing price quotes. The questions a property owner asks before signing a contract directly shape the quality of diagnosis, treatment, and long-term protection received. This page identifies the most consequential questions to pose to any prospective provider, explains why each matters, and defines the boundaries between situations that require different lines of inquiry.

Definition and scope

The pre-hire interview process for termite control is the structured set of questions a property owner, real estate buyer, or property manager directs at a licensed pest control operator before authorizing inspection or treatment. These questions serve as a verification mechanism — confirming licensure, treatment competence, product transparency, and contractual accountability before any financial commitment is made.

The scope of this process covers all termite service contexts: initial inspections, active infestations, pre-construction treatment, post-construction remediation, and ongoing monitoring programs. It applies equally to subterranean termite control services, drywood termite control services, and Formosan termite control services, each of which involves materially different treatment methods, products, and risk profiles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates termiticide products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and state pesticide regulatory agencies enforce licensing requirements at the operator level. Understanding this dual-layer structure — federal product registration plus state operator licensing — clarifies why certain questions are non-negotiable, particularly those concerning credentials and chemical disclosure.

How it works

An effective pre-hire interview operates across four verification categories: licensing and credentials, treatment methodology, product identity, and contract terms. Each category corresponds to a documented risk area that affects either legal protection, treatment efficacy, or occupant safety.

Licensing and credentials — Every state requires pest control operators to carry a state-issued license before applying regulated pesticides. Licensing structures vary; the termite control service licensing requirements (US) page documents state-by-state frameworks. A provider should be able to name the specific license category, its issuing state agency, and the license number. Separately, technician-level certifications from bodies such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or the Structural Pest Control Board (in states that use that model) indicate formal training beyond the minimum licensing threshold.

Treatment methodology — The provider should identify which treatment method applies to the diagnosed or suspected infestation type and explain the rationale. The major categories include:

Liquid termiticide barrier or zone treatment (e.g., applied to soil around the foundation)
Termite bait station systems installed in the ground around the structure
Fumigation (tenting) for drywood termite infestations throughout an enclosed structure
Heat treatment or microwave treatment for localized drywood infestations
Wood treatment using borate-based products applied to exposed structural timber

A comparison of liquid termiticide approaches versus bait systems illustrates meaningful differences: liquid barriers typically require soil disruption and provide immediate chemical protection, while bait systems work through delayed toxicant transfer within the colony and require ongoing monitoring visits. Neither is universally superior — the correct method depends on termite species, construction type, soil conditions, and infestation severity. The termite treatment methods comparison page covers this in detail.

Product identity — FIFRA requires that all registered pesticide products carry an EPA registration number on their label. The provider should be able to name the specific termiticide product, its active ingredient, and the EPA registration number. This enables independent verification via the EPA's Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS) before treatment begins.

Contract terms — Questions about warranty duration, re-treatment obligations, transferability, and cancellation terms belong in this category. These are addressed further in the decision boundaries section below.

Common scenarios

Real estate transactions — A buyer who has received a wood-destroying organism (WDO) report showing active termite activity should ask the provider whether the proposed treatment addresses the specific species identified in the report, who performs the post-treatment inspection, and whether a warranty will be transferable at closing.

Active infestation in an occupied structure — The property occupant should ask about re-entry intervals after treatment, whether the termiticide is classified as a restricted-use pesticide or general-use pesticide under FIFRA Part 152, and what ventilation or preparation steps are required. For fumigation specifically, the provider is required under EPA regulations to provide occupants with a specific set of safety notices.

New construction — Pre-construction soil treatment involves a different regulatory trigger: International Residential Code (IRC) Section R318 mandates termite protection in designated termite probability zones. The relevant questions here concern which products are listed on the published treated-wood or soil-treatment acceptance list, whether the treatment will be inspected by the local building department, and whether a post-construction warranty applies.

Ongoing monitoring without active infestation — The property owner should ask about the number of bait stations installed, how frequently they are serviced, and what documentation is provided after each monitoring visit.

Decision boundaries

The following distinctions determine which set of questions takes priority:

Licensed operator vs. unlicensed contractor: If a provider cannot produce a state-issued pesticide applicator license number, no further evaluation is warranted. State agencies maintain public license lookup tools; verification takes under 5 minutes.
Inspection-only vs. treatment contract: An inspection that does not include a treatment recommendation warrants questions about inspection methodology and reporting format. A treatment contract additionally requires questions about all warranty terms before signing. The termite control service contracts and termite warranty and protection plans pages define what those terms typically include.
Single treatment vs. annual program: A one-time treatment carries different liability and follow-up obligations than a monitoring program. Ask specifically whether the contract covers re-treatment at no additional cost if termites return within the warranty period.
Recommended treatment matches infestation type: A provider recommending fumigation for a confirmed subterranean termite infestation (which is structurally inaccessible to fumigants in soil) warrants a second-opinion termite inspection. Treatment method mismatches are a documented category of industry failure.

Any provider unwilling to answer questions about license number, active ingredients, EPA registration, or contract re-treatment terms before signing should be treated as a substantive red flag. The termite control red flags and scams page documents the specific patterns associated with fraudulent or substandard operators.

References

📜 2 regulatory citations referenced · 🔍 Monitored by ANA Regulatory Watch · View update log