Termites in Texas
Quite possibly the most costly pest problem in Texas are these annoying little guys. Termites are responsible for billions of dollars in damage to structures every year. They can prevent you from being able to sell your property.
There are three types of termites in Texas that can plague your home.
Subterranean Termites
These pesky little guys are the most commonly found termites in Texas. We typically receive calls for them after the home or business owner notices holes or dirt coming from their walls. They can come into the home from several different places. The most common entry point is on the outside of the structure’s foundation. This can be identified by a dirt/mud tube going from the ground up to a crack, hole, or void. For houses that are on blocks (pier and beam) they can be found on any of the blocks underneath. With pier and beam houses, the first indicator is usually a soft spot in the flooring.
Another place that termites can enter the home is in the bath trap. This is usually located on the other side of the wall from where your bathtub faucet comes out of the wall. Bath traps are usually installed as an overflow for water that drains directly into the dirt. This provides a water source which termites need to survive. Another place that they can enter is between slabs from an addon to the original structure. When a room or porch is added to the original, a new foundation is poured and a small crack between the new and original slabs give the termites an entry point. Subterranean termites require a path to an from the soil to retrieve more dirt and water.
Formosan
While technically still considered subterranean termites, these guys are more aggressive and more damaging to structures that normal subterraneans. They only need an access point with a tube temporarily until they have established a large enough colony in the structure. They create a carton in the wall which they live in and is self-sustaining. Formosans cause much more damage at a much quicker rate than the regular subterranean termite. Treatment for these termites follows the same procedure (with the exception of a larger in-wall area needing to be treated.)
Drywood
Drywood termites are a different problem entirely. These pests can infest your house in several different areas at once and for this reason, they require fumigation to properly treat. Unfortunately, we do not offer this service but we can diagnose the problem and refer you to the proper fumigation specialists. They are far less common in Texas but can still be an issue.
Treatment:
The treatment for subterranean and Formosan termites requires digging a trench around the structure anywhere the soil is next to the foundation. Anywhere there is concrete next to the foundation, we would need to drill holes through the cement to ensure the pesticide comes up between the concrete and the slab. We would then treat the bathtraps and inside any walls where they have caused damage. For pier and beam houses, we would have to go underneath and dig a trench around each of the blocks supporting the structure.
We offer free no-pressure estimates on all termite work so please feel free to give us a call if you’re concerned you might have termites. We’ll let you know if you have them, what type of work would be required, and we’ll give you a fair price with financing options available.
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