Ole Termite Tom...since I'm testifying at trial tomorrow in a termite case I probably should not give my opinion. It ain't very high personally or professionally. Mr. Campbell is very knowledgeable on all things termite related and has made millions of dollars getting his cut of litigation awards and settlements. He's nationwide and is involved in most all termite cases in Alabama. He loves to make youtube videos and use facebook to talk about his cases.

I do a lot of work on termite issues, damage and legal cases. here are my thoughts.

Homeowners. Many homeowners don't maintain their homes very well. I see countless homes with water issues that 100% encourage and increase termite activity. Even more don't crawl their crawlspaces regularly, walk their attic, or look behind furniture from time to time. Everyone is busy and who remembers to do that? Few of us.

Termite Companies. Some are Professional and thorough and provide real inspections and actually follow the label requirements for chemicals or bait stations. Some companies are good to OK...just depends on who the technician is or if you catch them on a good day perhaps. Some Termite Operators are terrible, cheats and liars. Same with any industry really..even lawyers. Even the best companies will miss something sometimes...and sometimes a bad company will do a great job.

Liquid Chemicals: Old stuff was awesome for killing bugs...but harmful to people and the environment per the scientists. The new stuff, in order to be more friendly to health and safety, is in essence less effective on termites.

Bait Stations: Bait is not a barrier. Bait is bait and will do a really good job, especially the "Always Active" by Sentricon. But these require proper installation, checking and good inspections too.

Termite Operators: Here is where the applicator comes into play...right chemicals, right application (right amounts in proper places at proper times)...then retreated as required on schedule??? All depends on the company.

Inspections: 5-10 minute walk through is 100% inadequate. It takes time and a commitment to excellence to do a full and complete inspection. Same with treatments....its really character and integrity driven. A great company with a lone technician who is short cutting procedures will cause problems...or not catch problems. An good inspection will not only look for termites but also look for other issues such as humidity, water intrusion, Powder Post Beetles, wood rot decay/mold/fungus organisms, vapor barriers, wood to ground contacts, wood debris in crawl, etc...

Bonds: Really 2 types.
1. Retreat Only Bond: Company treats and offers a bond to retreat any active infestation that may arise. They do this because termites get past barrier and bait systems all the time...even when done properly because there are other variables that can happen allowing for ways past termite treatments. Form boards, inaccessible areas that were never pretreated and cannot be checked, water, formosans, etc...

2. Repair Bond: Company treats and offers a bond that will include retreat of any active infestations along with a repair of damage up to a certain dollar figure. This can vary.

Termite Bonds are worth it, if and only if, the company doing the treatments and inspections is following industry standards. Short cutting the processes hurts home owners. I know of numerous retreat only bonds where companies will help take care of their clients even when not required to do so by contract. I know companies that will take your money and not give much in return at all...false security. I also know of dirty lawyers who lie and manipulate things to win cases.

The majority of our cases are dealing with liquid chemical treatments, although I've been involved on several bait station cases by well known national companies.