Inspection and treatment for drywood termites, which live inside dry wood above the soil line and swarm in a different season.
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Drywood termite treatment deals with termites that live inside dry wood above the soil line rather than in the ground. UF/IFAS reports that West Indian drywood termite flights peak in May and June across Florida. Inspection looks for small pellets and wings near the wood, and the price is confirmed before any work starts.
Drywood termites are a different problem from the subterranean kind. They typically nest inside dry, sound wood in the structure and do not need contact with the soil, so the mud tubes and soil-line damage that point to a subterranean colony are often absent. A house can have active drywood termites with no visible sign at the foundation at all.
UF/IFAS lists the West Indian drywood termite among the species with statewide flights that peak in May and June, and swarmers fly at dusk. That timing differs from the spring flights of the subterranean species, so a swarm seen in early summer should not be assumed to be the same termite a homeowner was warned about in March.
Florida places termite and other wood-destroying organism work under one certification category. A technician who holds that category can inspect for and treat both kinds, but the report should say which kind was found, because the approach for each is different.
Do not burn, sand or drill into infested wood to find the colony, because the dust and smoke are not harmless and the work can spread the termites. Wear a dust mask if you must clear frass from a small area, and call (855) 974-4733 before disturbing a large pile.
The technician checks trim, window frames, door jambs, attic framing and the furniture set against walls. Wood is tapped and probed, and any frass pile is traced back to the place it came from.
Eaves, soffits and fascia boards are checked for signs of activity and for the swarm marks left near lights. Any exterior wood that is part of the structure has its condition noted.
Where a colony is established, the wood is often hollowed out inside while the surface looks sound. The technician uses a probe and, where useful, a thermal camera to work out how far the damage runs.
Options can include localized treatment of infested wood, heavier structural work in severe cases, or a combination. Each option is explained with what it asks of the household, and the price is approved before work starts.
Damaged wood the technician identifies is repaired by a contractor, and a re-inspection checks that activity has stopped. The treatment record goes into the home file.
Drywood termites usually live inside dry wood without soil contact, while subterranean termites live in the soil and reach wood through tubes. The two need different inspections, and a survey that looks only at the foundation can miss a drywood colony in the attic or the window trim.
That difference is why a termite inspection should say which areas were checked. A foundation survey does not look at the wood in the roof space or the window trim, and a drywood survey does. Ask for the report to list the wood inspected, not only the perimeter.
UF/IFAS reports that West Indian drywood termite flights peak in May and June across Florida, and that swarmers fly at dusk. That is a statewide pattern rather than a local calendar for Tampa, so use it as a guide to when to look.
A swarm often shows up as a few winged insects near a light or a window after dark. Keep the wings, since a technician can use them to help identify the termite. Do not vacuum or sweep a large pile without first photographing it.
Often both. Once the infested wood is treated, damaged pieces may need replacing, and a follow-up inspection confirms that activity has stopped. A plan that does not mention a follow-up has left that question open.
Replacing trim or a board is a carpentry job and falls outside the pest technician's work. The technician should say which pieces need replacing and recommend that a contractor handle them, then record the result.
It can. Drywood activity found during a sale-related inspection appears on the state WDO inspection report, which buyers may ask to see. Ask for the treatment record and the follow-up result before closing.
If activity was treated before a sale, the treatment record and any follow-up result are the documents to keep. Ask the seller and the technician for them before closing, so the buyer's inspection is not the first time the record is read. The WDO inspection page explains what that report covers.
Used when the infestation is confined to a few boards, trim pieces or one wall. The technician treats the wood in place and records each area treated.
Used when activity is spread through the framing. This is heavier work, and the homeowner should have the plan and the price in writing before it begins.
A monitoring plan checks for new frass and swarms during the warm months, when the flights happen. It is the step that tells the homeowner whether the treatment has held.
Drywood termites matter in Tampa because of the wood they live in. Many older houses in Hyde Park, Ybor City and Seminole Heights were largely built between about 1900 and 1940, and their trim, floors and attic framing are the kind of dry wood drywood colonies can use. A survey in those houses should look above the foundation as well as below it. The Seminole Heights page describes the bungalow stock there.
The May and June flight window overlaps the start of the rainy season, which runs from about 25 May to 10 October, according to the National Weather Service. Homeowners are often watching storms and standing water then, so a swarm is easy to miss. Check window sills and light fixtures after a warm evening.
Exterior trim, fascia boards and window frames are the wood a homeowner can most easily keep sealed and painted across Hillsborough County. Ask the technician which surfaces they recommend for attention during a survey, and keep the answer with the report.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Inspection and treatment for subterranean termites in Tampa homes, from the soil line up through the wood framing.
A Florida WDO inspection report for a home sale, covering the wood that can be reached and listing what could not be.
Inspection and treatment for the tropical Asian subterranean termite, which UF/IFAS confirmed as established in South Tampa.
Florida termite swarms follow a calendar that depends on the species.
Usually not directly. The sign is most often frass, the small pellets they push out of the wood, or a swarm. A technician finds the source by tracing those signs back into the structure.
No. The West Indian drywood termite and the Asian subterranean termite are different species that live in different places and fly at different times. A technician should name the species in the report.
Either kind can damage a structure, and the damage is often hidden inside the wood. The reason to act early is that the wood may be more affected than it looks from outside, so the inspection should come before any decision.
It is not a good idea. A surface product rarely reaches a colony inside wood, and it can make the technician's job harder by hiding the signs or leaving residue.
Florida places termite and other wood-destroying organism work in one certification category under Chapter 482 of the Florida Statutes. Ask the technician for the certificate, and check it with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.