Termites cause serious damage and consumers spend serious money trying to deal with it. This settlement sends a message to all advertisers to represent their products truthfully and accurately.
Consumers expect it and the law requires it.
Md. Terminate, which is manufactured and distributed by United Industries Corporation, is sold through national home improvement stores and regional chains. The complaint alleges that United Industries did not have adequate substantiation to support certain challenged claims. For example, in the complaint, federal and state officials allege that the company's materials about Terminate imply, without substantiation, that 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 Terminate is as effective or more effective than chemical barrier treatments in preventing termite infestations and damage in homes. According to the complaint, the company has failed to disclose that bait stakes do not work against drywood termites and that PCOs are recommended for homes with active infestations or in areas with drywood or Formosan termites. As part of the settlement, United Industries will not make any claims about the effectiveness of Terminate unless it has reliable scientific evidence to support those claims.