Termite Control

Most people find out they have termites the way we hear it on the phone: a small pile of wings on the windowsill in spring, a door that suddenly sticks in its frame, or a stretch of baseboard that sounds hollow when tapped. By the time those symptoms show, a colony has usually been at work on the house for a while. That is why termite control begins with an inspection, not a spray.

Termite treatment is structural protection, not a quick fix. Our licensed technicians map where the colony is entering, what species you are dealing with, and which conditions around the foundation are inviting them in. Then, and only then, do we recommend a treatment — liquid barrier, bait stations, or a combination — and give you a written quote for it. Most jobs land between $1,000 and $2,500; the free inspection tells you which end of that range you are on.

Signs you have subterranean termites

Subterranean termites stay out of sight, but they leave evidence. These are the signs homeowners in almost every region report:

• Mud tubes — pencil-width brown tunnels running up the foundation, over piers, or along interior walls. Termites build them to travel between the soil and the wood they are eating.
• Discarded wings — piles of small, identical wings near windowsills, doors, or light fixtures, usually in spring when swarmers leave the colony to start new ones.
• Hollow-sounding wood — tapping a section of wall or baseboard that sounds empty, especially near ground level, often with a papery surface that dents under pressure.
• Frass and buckling — for drywood termites, tiny six-sided pellets kicked out of the wood; for subterranean species, sagging floors, buckled trim, or doors that no longer close.

None of these are proof on their own — carpenter ants and moisture rot can mimic the same damage. That is exactly why the inspection matters more than the symptom.

The species that damage homes

Termite treatment is species-specific, and the species varies by region:

• Eastern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes flavipes) are the most common and the most destructive nationwide. They nest in the soil and attack anything wooden that touches it — foundation framing, floor joists, even stored lumber.
• Formosan termites (Coptotermes formosanus) are the aggressive ones in the Southeast, Gulf states, and Hawaii. A single Formosan colony can number in the millions and will eat through wood faster than any other species in the country.
• Drywood termites (Incisitermes species) live entirely inside the wood they infest — attics, framing, furniture — with no soil connection at all. They are the reason a full WDO inspection includes every room, not just the basement.

Each species needs a different treatment strategy, which is why we identify the pest before we price the job.

How professional termite treatment works

A proper treatment plan has three phases, and skipping any of them is how termites come back:

1. Inspect. A licensed technician walks the property inside and out — foundation, crawl space or slab, attic, attached structures, and the yard — looking for active colonies, old damage, and conducive conditions like wood-to-soil contact or standing moisture.
2. Treat. The method is chosen for your situation. A liquid termiticide barrier is applied in a trench around the foundation to create a continuous treated zone. Bait station systems are buried around the perimeter and slowly eliminate the colony through a non-repellent toxicant. Drywood or severe infestations may call for borate applications or, in the worst cases, whole-structure fumigation.
3. Protect. The job is not done when the termites die. We correct the conditions that attracted them — grading, gutter discharge, mulch depth, crawl-space ventilation — and set up annual re-inspections so the protection never lapses.

Every application uses EPA-registered products, and you get a written record of what was treated and where.

Treatment options at a glance

DIY vs. professional termite control

Store shelves are full of termite sprays and foams, and they all share the same weakness: they kill the termites they touch, and termites are nearly all underground. A subterranean colony can extend 300 feet across a neighborhood and send workers into your home every night. Spot-treating what you can see is like closing one window while the others stay open.

Professional treatment is priced to protect the largest investment most families own. When the inspection shows no active infestation, we say so and give you a prevention plan instead of a treatment — you do not pay for work you do not need.

Prevention for homeowners

Most termite problems trace back to a handful of fixable conditions:

• Keep soil, mulch, and landscaping at least 4 to 6 inches below wood siding and door thresholds. Mulch piled against the foundation is an open invitation.
• Fix leaky spigots, downspouts, and gutters that keep the soil beside the foundation wet. Termites need moisture to thrive.
• Remove stumps, form boards, and scrap lumber from the yard. Buried construction debris is a colony starter kit.
• Keep crawl spaces dry and ventilated, and never store firewood or lumber under or against the house.
• Schedule a yearly WDO inspection. Termite damage moves slowly, which means an annual check catches it years before it becomes a repair bill.

What termite control services include

A complete termite control service bundles the inspection, the treatment, and the paperwork lenders and buyers need: a WDO inspection report on request, treatment that matches the termite species (liquid barrier for subterranean colonies, localized or fumigation work for drywood), and a follow-up visit to verify the colony is gone. If you are comparing termite control companies, ask whether the quoted price includes all three — a barrier without a report or a re-check is only half a service.

If you have seen wings, mud tubes, or hollow wood, or you simply want the peace of mind that comes with a clean inspection report, call us for a free inspection. A licensed local technician will walk the property with you, show you exactly what they find, and quote the work honestly — no pressure, and no work you do not need.