Licensed pest control
Termite Control Services
Termite control means finding where the colony gets into your house and cutting it off, and it costs $500 to $2,000 for a liquid soil treatment on most homes. Tent fumigation for drywood termites runs $2,000 to $8,000. The catch is that termites stay hidden inside wood and soil, so most people find them late, after the swarm or the soft floorboard. Tell us what you found and we’ll connect you with a licensed termite company near you for a free inspection quote. You pick the treatment after you see the price.
- Licensed & insured techs
- Free, no-pressure quotes
- Homes, apartments and businesses
What Do Termites Look Like?
Worker termites are creamy white, soft and about a quarter inch long, with no visible waist. You rarely see them, because they stay inside wood, soil and their own mud tunnels. Swarmers are the ones people spot: dark bodies with two pairs of wings that are the same length and stick out well past the body.
Flying ants get mistaken for termites all the time. Kansas State University’s entomology lab gives three tells: ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched waist and front wings longer than the back ones. Termites have straight antennae, a thick waist and four equal wings.
Found a pile of shed wings on a windowsill? Save a few in a zip bag. A tech can name the species from them in seconds.
Signs of Termites in Your House
Mud Tubes on the Foundation
Pencil-wide tunnels of dirt running up concrete, piers or basement walls. Subterranean termites build them to stay moist while they travel between soil and wood.
Swarmers or Piles of Wings
Dozens of winged insects near a window or light in spring, or little heaps of identical wings on the sill a day later.
Hollow or Blistered Wood
Trim that sounds papery when you tap it, a screwdriver that sinks in easily, or paint that bubbles over damaged wood.
Tiny Pellets Under Wood
Drywood termites push out hard, six-sided droppings the size of a sesame seed. They pile up below the damaged board.
Termite Types Found in US Homes
Four termite types cause almost all the damage in the states we cover. The species matters because it decides the treatment and the bill.
| Termite | Where | What It Means for You |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern subterranean | All 10 states we serve, the most widespread US species | Lives in soil and builds mud tubes. A liquid barrier or bait system handles it. |
| Formosan subterranean | Florida, Georgia, Texas, the Carolinas and a pocket near San Diego | One colony can top a million termites and eats faster than native species. Act on it fast. |
| Drywood | Coastal California, Arizona, Florida and the Texas Gulf Coast | Nests inside dry wood with no soil contact. Spot treatment for small areas, tenting for spread-out damage. |
| Desert subterranean | Arizona and the desert parts of Southern California | Builds thin mud tubes, even free-hanging ones, and swarms after summer rain. |
How Termite Treatment Works
Termite treatment goes after the colony, not just the wood you can see. For subterranean termites, a tech trenches the soil around your foundation and soaks it with a liquid termiticide, or installs bait stations every 10 to 20 feet around the house. Modern liquids are non-repellent, so termites walk through them, carry the product back and spread it to the rest of the colony.
Drywood termites never touch the soil, so the soil barrier does nothing for them. Small pockets get injected with foam or borate. Damage in several rooms means tenting the house with gas.
What Happens on a Termite Job
- Inspection
- The tech checks the foundation, crawl space, attic, garage and any wood touching soil, then marks activity and moisture problems on a diagram.
- Treatment Plan
- You get a written quote naming the species, the method, the linear feet treated and what the warranty covers.
- Treatment Day
- A liquid job on an average house takes a few hours and you can stay home. Tenting means everyone, pets included, moves out for two to three days.
- Follow-up
- Bait systems need monitoring visits, and colony kill can take several months. Liquid jobs come with a re-inspection, usually once a year.
How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?
Termite treatment costs $500 to $2,000 for most homes treated with a liquid soil barrier. Price follows the linear feet of foundation, the species and how far the damage spread. Formosan colonies and whole-house tenting land at the top of the scale.
Prices come from HomeGuide’s termite cost guide. Get two quotes that list the same method and linear footage, or you’re comparing different jobs.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Termite inspection | $0 to $250, many companies inspect free |
| Liquid soil treatment | $500 to $2,000 for a whole home, or $3 to $20 per linear foot |
| Bait station system | $1,000 to $2,500 to install, plus $200 to $400 a year for monitoring |
| Tent fumigation (drywood) | $2,000 to $8,000 for an average home, $1 to $4 per square foot |
| Heat treatment | $2,000 to $6,000 for a 2,000 square foot home |
Can You Treat Termites Yourself?
DIY termite products work on the edges. Store-bought bait stakes and spot foams can hit a few termites in a fence post or a shed, and fixing leaks, pulling mulch back and moving firewood off the house all cut the risk. What DIY can’t do is trench and treat the full foundation, because the pro liquids come in volumes and concentrations sold to licensed applicators.
Call a licensed company the moment you see mud tubes on the house, swarmers indoors or damaged wood inside. NC State Extension notes a Formosan colony can forage over an area more than 300 feet across, and every month it feeds adds to the repair bill.
So: termites in a stump or the woodpile, handle it yourself and keep watching. Termites in the house, get a pro.
How to Keep Termites Away From Your Home
- Fix leaky spigots, AC drip lines and gutters that dump water against the foundation.
- Keep mulch at least 6 inches back from the siding and foundation.
- Stack firewood off the ground and at least 20 feet from the house.
- Make sure no wood siding, trim or deck post touches soil.
- Book a termite inspection once a year, more often in Florida and the Gulf states.
Termite Control in Your State
Termite pressure changes a lot between the states we cover. Pick yours for local pests, costs and city pages.
How It Works
Tell Us The Problem
Tell us what you found, mud tubes, wings or soft wood, and your ZIP.
Get Matched With A Local Pro
We pass it to a licensed termite company that works in your area.
Book Your Treatment
The inspector quotes the job in writing and you decide on the treatment.
Termite Control FAQs
Have a termite question we didn’t answer? Send it through the form with a photo of the damage or wings.
Do termite swarmers in the house mean I have an infestation?
Swarmers inside the house mean a colony is in the walls, under the slab or in the crawl space. They can’t chew their way in from outside.
Swarmers outside on a stump or fence are different. That colony may never reach the house, but book an inspection to be sure. Most companies inspect for $0 to $250.
Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage?
No. Standard homeowners policies treat termite damage as a maintenance problem, so repairs come out of your pocket.
That’s why many people in Florida, Georgia and Texas pay for a termite bond or yearly plan, which runs $200 to $900 a year depending on the company and coverage.
Is liquid treatment or a bait system better for termites?
Liquid soil treatment works faster and costs less up front, $500 to $2,000 for most homes. Bait systems cost $1,000 to $2,500 to install plus yearly monitoring, but they use less product and work well where trenching is hard.
For an active infestation under a slab, most techs start with liquid.
Do I need a termite inspection to buy a house?
Many lenders ask for a wood-destroying insect report before closing, and VA loans require one in a long list of states, including much of the South.
Even without a lender rule, get one. A $0 to $250 inspection is cheap next to a hidden repair.
Is termite treatment safe for kids and pets?
Liquid termiticide goes into the soil around the foundation, not inside living areas. Keep kids and pets off the treated strip until it dries, a few hours on a sunny day.
Tent fumigation is different. Everyone, including dogs, cats, fish and plants, stays out for two to three days until the house tests clear.
Get a Free Termite Inspection Quote
Fill in the form with what you found and your ZIP. A licensed termite company near you will quote the inspection and treatment, and you’re under no obligation to book.
Along with termite work, the companies we match you with handle Ant Control, Roach Extermination and Rodent Removal, plus every other pest control service we list.