Prepare Your Home for Termite Swarm Season in Tyler, TX

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Here at East Texas Termite and Pest Control, we will create a personalized plan for your termite eradication and prevention that is specific to your needs and budget. We have been effectively treating termites of all kinds for more than 45 years. We know what works and take great pride in our knowledge, expertise, and competitive pricing. Give us a call today for a free consultation and estimate.

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Termites are undoubtedly the most destructive wood-destroying insects in East Texas. According to researchers at Texas A&M, there are an average of 12 to 15 termite colonies per acre in East Texas with anywhere from 60,000 to 1,000,000 termites per colony.

Termites cost homeowners an average of $5 billion each year. Due to this, we recommend regular inspections at the very least. Optimally, we recommend homes be treated preventatively every 7 years with a liquid chemical barrier with routine inspections every 6 to 12 months depending on the type of treatment used. This is the only way to be sure that an infestation will not occur and result in costly damage before being discovered.

It is also strongly recommended to have a pretreat (pre-construction termite treatment) done on all new construction–including add-ons such as additional rooms, porches, or sidewalks adjoining any existing structure. While we do offer termite bait system installation as well as monitoring/maintenance, we do not recommend using these aside from when it is financially or physically unfeasible to do a liquid chemical barrier treatment. They just do not have the established effectiveness that Fipronil (Termidor) has. While many companies have switched to these systems due to their ease of application and higher profit margins, the science just does not support replacing traditional chemical treatments with these systems.

Key Signs You Have Termites

There are several signs that indicate you have termites. Some of the most common are:

Holes in your siding, wood or sheetrock
Intricate tunnels under your home or around the foundation of your slab
Tiny termite remains scattered across your home

Schedule your termite control service at the first sign of infestation to avoid irreversible damage.

Get lasting termite protection today. Call now to schedule your service in Tyler, TX.

There are three types of termites found in East Texas:

Eastern Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are by far the most common termites in Texas. There are three types (castes) of termite adults in a colony: workers, soldiers, and reproductives (shown in this order in the above picture). Termite workers are white to light brown and are soft bodied. Soldiers resemble worker termites, except that they have enlarged brownish heads and strong, well-developed jaws (mandibles). Soldiers protect the colony from invaders, primarily ants. Reproductives are quite often the ones most commonly seen by homeowners, as they are the only ones who leave the colony and shelter tube system. This is known as “swarming season” and generally begins around March and continues through mid to late Summer. Observed reproductives may or may not be winged. Winged reproductives have yellow-brown to black bodies and bear four wings of equal size that may be smoky gray to brown.

Formosan Termites

The Formosan termite is another subterranean species that is closely related to the Eastern Subterranean termite. They are larger in size than the Eastern Subterranean termite and have a distinctly brighter orange color to their heads and bodies. The head shape of the soldier caste is more oval and the wings of their reproductives are hairy. Formosan termites are alarming in that they do damage much faster than their Eastern counterparts. They are also known for making what’s called carton colonies inside walls, which can make their eradication much more difficult. If dealing with this species, it is highly recommended that you ensure the provider you use has experience in dealing with these particular infestations.

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are tricky to detect in that they are not subterranean like the other two. They find wood to infest and then they actually live within that wood. The way they are generally discovered is by the fecal pellets/frass they expel (shown below) and by swarmers being seen during their reproductive cycles. Drywood termites are usually brought into the home unknowingly inside of infested wood such as furniture or cabinetry. Drywood termite colonies are much smaller than the subterranean species and tend to do damage more slowly, but they are also more likely to go undiscovered due to their inconspicuous nature.

Key Signs You Have Termites

Swarming

Termite swarming season generally begins in early to mid-Spring, around when nighttime temperatures reach around 60 degrees. The first swarms are often precipitated by a rain. You may visibly see termites flying around, or you may find discarded wings. This period is very often when homeowners discover they have a termite infestation.

Mud Tunnels

Eastern Subterranean and Formosan termites use tunnels, or shelter tubes, as their way of entering structures or reaching any food source that is above ground level. These are the most common signs of termite infestation and are normally found around the foundation of your home or along plumbing lines where they enter through penetrations in the slab or subfloor.

Damaged Wood

Damaged or hollowed wood is a dangerous sign of termite activity. Termites consume wood from the inside out, leaving nothing but the paint or a thin layer of timber. When you knock on an area that has termite damage, it will sound hollow.

Exit Holes in Drywall and/or Trim

In many cases the first sign of a termite infestations will be a breakthrough pinhole in drywall, trim, or unfinished wood surfaces. Sometimes the beginning of a shelter tube will be seen coming from the hole.

Drywood Termite Frass

A key sign of drywood termites is frass found around infested wood. Frass is a wood-colored material with specks of black in it that can look much like sawdust.