North Carolina Pest Control Companies Settle with Consumers

Union County business, Budget Pest Prevention Inc., agreed to pay a total $10,000 in settlements

November 9, 2007

UNION COUNTY NC NEWS -- The North Carolina Structural Pest Control Committee met in Raleigh and approved the following settlement agreements with Robert L. Jones, the owner of a Monroe pest company located in Union County, Budget Pest Prevention Inc., agreed to pay a total $10,000 in settlements for improperly supervising employees and failing to correct improper termite treatments. In the first two cases of improperly supervising employees, Chris Jones, an employee of Budget Pest Prevention, failed to properly maintain bait systems in two homes after their installation. Homeowners called to the company to complain about active termites, but never received any return responses to their calls. As a result of the failure to maintain the bait systems, both homes suffered termite damage.

In two other related cases, Budget Pest Prevention failed to correct improper termite treatments of a home in Charlotte and Mint Hill. Robert L. Jones agreed to pay $2,000 to each homeowner after failing to correct the treatments within the 30 days of notification. In a third case, Jones agreed to pay another $2,000, in restitution after four re-inspections were performed by the North Carolina Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division, and his company still failed to correct an improper termite treatment. According to North Carolina state statues, when a deviation is noted by a Structural Pest Control inspector, the structural pest operator is obligated to correct the problem within 30 days.

Acme Pest Control Co. Inc. of Concord is back in the news. John R. Horton, owner of the company, agreed to pay $400 for improper supervision of an employee working under his license. Larry Ammons Jr., an employee of Acme Pest Control Co. Inc., performed improper new construction pre-treatments on two jobs and falsified his records to indicate he had done the appropriate treatment. In addition, the employee was found to have several other North Carolina violations on his truck and safety violations when mixing and applying pesticides. John R. Horton agreed to refund the money on both treatments and issue a five-year warranty at no charge.

Other settlements with North Carolina pest control companies and citizens approved by the North Carolina Structural Pest Control Committee are as follows.

In Kill Devil Hills, Harry Carter, owner of CBI Technologies servicing Dare County, agreed to pay $2,000 for operating a structural pest control business for at least a year without a license. Carter had a registered technician card that expired in 2003 and failed the licensing exam in 2006. He does hold a North Carolina pesticide applicator license, but it does not cover structural pest control applications.

Phillip Ferger of Termitech-South Inc. in Charlotte agreed to pay $400 for issuing a Wood-Destroying Insect Report that stated that the residence had an active infestation of powder post beetles when there was none. Ferger also issued an incomplete treatment proposal for the home.

In Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, Isaac Floyd Jr. of Mantis Pest Control Inc. agreed to pay $800 for improperly supervising an employee using his license. The employee, Harry L. Johnson, issued inaccurate Wood-Destroying Insect Reports and his company vehicle had five structural pest control violations. In the same case, Harry L. Johnson of Mantis Pest Control Inc. agreed to surrender his registered technician's card and not work in the structural pest control industry for at least two years.

In Forsyth County, Don W. Hamby Jr. of Don's Termite and Pest Control Inc., located in Clemmons agreed to pay $400 for an improper booster application of Termidor SC to a home in Winston-Salem. Hamby, did not apply the termiticide in a trench along the foundation wall as directed by the pesticide label.

In Greensboro, North Carolina, Eric Justice of Clegg's Termite & Pest Control Inc, agreed to pay $400 and attend a training session in Raleigh after applying a pre-treatment termiticide to a horse barn using a chemical that states it is not to be used in livestock buildings.

In Yadkin County, Linnie L. Roberts of Rid-A-Bug Exterminating Co., a Hamptonville company agreed to attend a Wood Destroying Insect Inspector Training program and send an employee for training as well for issuing an inaccurate WDIR.

John T. Williams of Raleigh agreed to pay $500 for operating as a structural pest control operator without a license. He treated a Raleigh home for more than five years without a license. Williams also agreed to refund the homeowner's money.

Finally, a Wilson County man, Steve Rogers agreed to pay $800 for the improper use of a pesticide used to get rid of bats in a rental property he oversees.

The primary purpose of the Structural Pest Control Division (SPCD) is to protect the health and safety of the North Carolina public and environment by regulating the structural pest control industry. The SPCD is a division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and regulates the pesticide products used in North Carolina. SPCD improves the quality of structural pest control services by reducing fraudulent and unscrupulous activities in the structural pest control industry. SPCD is also responsible for the implementation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) in North Carolina as it relates to structural pest control under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA.