Hi Frank R.
no, I think you`re confusing what myself and others were saying:
WE know it`s just a box in a box in another box.
If much of the time in much of the Lace monitor`s range it very regularly chooses termite nests which DO sit on the ground (or in trees), then offering a "termite mound box" that has all the conditions they`re looking for, might just be advantageous to keeper/s.
It really doesn`t matter whether there are termites in it, because if they`re dead mounds in the wild, the conditions inside would not be suitable, and they wouldn`t lay eggs in them...
The point should also be made that when keeping the larger species in relatively large enclosures, it`s very difficult to get the whole substrate suitable for nesting, rather than something smaller, as described...
Should we say we are decreasing our chances? No, because we`ve succeeded in providing the conditions, even though they`re in a smaller space. They aren`t looking for a LARGE area to deposit eggs, rather, a SMALL, very secure location offering the right conditions is what they seek and require!