Termite inspection and treatment in Round Rock

What the work involves

A termite job has two parts. The first is the inspection. The second, if termites are active, is the treatment. Ask for the inspection first, and decide on treatment once you see what the inspector found.

The inspector looks along the foundation, in the crawl space or garage, around plumbing penetrations, and at wood that touches soil. They also look for mud tubes, damaged wood, shed wings and droppings. Texas A&M says a house should be inspected at least once a year, by a licensed professional.

If termites are active, the company treats the soil around the house with a liquid, sets up bait stations, or does both. Texas A&M says liquid soil treatments are the primary family of products for subterranean termites. Baits can be a useful alternative or supplement, especially where the soil is hard to reach.

Texas pest control companies and applicators are licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture. Ask for the license number before the inspector arrives.

Why Round Rock homeowners call about termites

• A swarm of winged insects near a window, a door or a light
• Small piles of clear wings on a sill or the floor
• A thin mud line running up a foundation wall, a pier or a garage wall
• Wood that sounds hollow when tapped, or that crumbles at the surface
• Small piles of pellets under a wooden beam or window frame
• A termite inspection report for a house sale, or a report that found something
• A warranty or yearly contract that is about to expire

Are they termites, ants, or something else?

Do not spray first. Save a few of the insects in a jar or tape, or take a close photo. That helps the inspector name them.

• Swarmers or flying ants? Texas A&M says termites and some ants swarm at the same time of year, and people often mix them up. Termite swarmers have wings of the same size and shape. An inspector can tell for sure.
• Subterranean or drywood? Subterranean termites need soil or another moisture source and build mud tubes. Drywood termites take water from the wood and leave small pellets. Texas A&M says drywood termites are found statewide, with the most along the Gulf Coast.
• Termites or wood rot? Texas A&M warns that wood-destroying fungi can look like termite damage. It also says it is virtually impossible to tell how old wood damage is. Ask the inspector to show you the live termites, not only the damage.
• A mud tube you found Texas A&M says to break a tube open and look for live termites. Tubes can blend in with soil and concrete, and an old empty tube does not prove current activity.

What changes the price

Termite quotes vary a lot, so compare the scope, not only the total. Ask each company to write down exactly what it will do.

• Whether the inspection is free, or charged, or credited toward treatment
• Liquid soil treatment, bait stations, or both
• The size of the house and how much of the foundation is exposed
• Slab, crawl space or pier-and-beam. Access changes the work.
• Any drilling through slabs, patios or porches
• Whether damaged wood repair is included. It usually is not.
• The length of the warranty, and the cost of the yearly renewal