Signs you need this
- Winged insects swarming indoors or near the foundation, often in spring
- Discarded wings piled on windowsills or floors
- Pencil-width mud tubes on foundation walls, piers or in the crawl space
- Wood that sounds hollow or is damaged along the grain
- A buyer or lender asking for a wood-destroying insect inspection
What the work usually involves
- Inspecting the foundation, basement or crawl space, garage and accessible wood
- Confirming whether it's termites or another wood pest
- Treatment, commonly a liquid treatment in the soil around the foundation, bait stations, or both
- Treating affected wood directly where that suits the situation
- Pointing out conditions that attract termites, such as wood touching soil and moisture near the foundation
Until help arrives
- Don't break open mud tubes or spray swarmers; the provider needs to see them.
- If you can, save a few swarmers or wings in a sealed bag for identification.
- Keep firewood, lumber and deep mulch away from the foundation.
- Fix leaks and drainage that keep soil wet next to the house.