Florida is termite country
Central Florida gives subterranean termites everything they want: warm soil, moisture, and wood. Colonies live underground in the hundreds of thousands and tunnel up through hairline cracks in foundations. Drywood termites skip the soil entirely and live inside the wood itself — furniture, beams, attic framing. Both are active in Orlando all year, and both do their damage quietly.
Most homeowners find termites by accident: a mud tube on the foundation, a pile of shed wings on a windowsill after a spring swarm, wood that sounds hollow when tapped. By the time the signs are obvious, the colony has usually been working for a while. That is why the inspection matters more than anything else we do.
What our termite inspection covers
We walk the full perimeter looking for mud tubes, damaged wood, and moisture problems that invite termites. Inside, we check baseboards, door and window frames, crawl spaces, attics, and garages. We look for the signs most people miss: blistered paint that looks like water damage, tiny piles of drywood termite pellets that resemble sawdust, doors that stick for no clear reason. Then we tell you plainly what we found — and what we did not find.
How treatment works
For subterranean termites, treatment targets the colony, not just the termites you can see. That means treated zones in the soil around the foundation and targeted applications at entry points, so foraging termites carry the treatment back to the colony. For drywood termites, treatment goes directly into the infested wood. Either way, the goal is the same: eliminate the colony, not scatter it. That is why we tell people never to spray termites with household insecticide first — it splits the colony and makes professional treatment harder.
The honest part about cost and timing
Termite work is priced by the job after we see it — the size of your home, the type of termite, and how far the activity has spread all matter. The inspection is free either way, and the plan we give you is written down before any work starts. What we will not do is pressure you: termites are serious, but a high-pressure sales pitch is not how serious problems get solved.
How It Works: Our Termite Process
- Free inspection. We walk the full perimeter looking for mud tubes, damaged wood, and moisture problems, then check inside: baseboards, door and window frames, crawl spaces, attics, and garages. We show you every sign we find, and we tell you plainly when we find nothing.
- Identification. Subterranean or drywood? Old inactive damage or a live colony? The treatment is completely different for each, so this step decides everything that follows.
- A written plan. Method, areas to be treated, timeline, and cost, all in writing before any work starts. No pressure, no same-day-close tactics.
- Treatment. For subterranean termites, we establish treated zones in the soil around the foundation and at entry points so foraging termites carry the treatment back to the colony. For drywood termites, treatment goes directly into the infested wood.
- Follow-up. We verify the treatment took hold and set you up on annual inspections, because in Central Florida new colonies are always probing.
Subterranean vs. drywood: why the distinction runs the whole job
Subterranean termites live in huge underground colonies and travel up through mud tubes to reach your wood. Their swarmers fly in spring, and their damage follows moisture. Drywood termites skip the soil entirely and live inside the wood itself: framing, furniture, door frames. Their swarmers fly in late summer and fall, and they kick tiny pellet piles, called frass, out of their galleries.
The treatments have almost nothing in common. Subterranean work is about reaching the colony through the soil and entry points. Drywood work is about treating the infested wood directly. A company that treats both the same way is guessing, and guessing is expensive with termites. Our inspection identifies which type you have before we propose anything.
Swarm season: what to do when wings appear
Finding a pile of shed wings on a windowsill is alarming, but it is useful information. Swarmers mean a mature colony is nearby, and the wings tell us which type. Here is what to do: do not panic, and do not spray. Collect a few wings or bodies in a bag or jar for identification. Note where you found them and what time of year it is. Then call us for the free inspection.
What we do with a swarm report: we inspect the area where swarmers appeared first, then expand outward looking for the colony source. Swarmers do not travel far from home, so the origin is usually close. Catching it at the swarmer stage is actually good timing, because it means the colony revealed itself before the damage went much further.
Making your home less inviting to termites
You cannot termite-proof a Florida home, but you can make yours a harder target. Fix leaks and drainage problems, because moisture is the top attractant. Keep mulch and soil below your siding line. Eliminate wood-to-soil contact: fence posts, trellises, and deck posts should not touch soil directly. Never stack firewood against the house. Keep gutters clear so water does not pool at the foundation. And get the annual inspection even in years with no signs, because termites do their work quietly and early detection is the cheapest treatment there is.
Spot a sign? Do not wait.
Mud tubes, shed wings, hollow wood, or mystery sawdust piles — send the form below or call (301) 679-9193 for a free termite inspection.