Termite Identification

What are termites?

A termite is a small social insect, and a colony of them is a cellulose-eating machine: wood, paper, cardboard, any plant material will do. People mix them up with ants constantly, but genetically they are closer to cockroaches. Several species live in Texas; the one that matters most to a Central Texas homeowner is the subterranean termite, and in particular the Formosan subterranean termite, one of the most destructive termite species anywhere.

Subterranean colonies live underground and can run to hundreds of thousands of individuals. To travel between the nest and the wood they are eating without drying out, they build mud tubes: narrow soil tunnels running up foundations and piers. In the Austin area's mild climate the colonies never really shut down, which means they can be feeding on a house every month of the year, quietly, long before anything shows on the surface.

Are termites dangerous?

Not to your body. Termites do not sting people, bite people, or spread disease. Your house is another matter. Termites do an estimated five billion dollars in property damage across the U.S. every year, and standard homeowners insurance almost never covers a dime of it.

The real problem is how quietly they work. A colony feeds inside walls, floors, and beams where you cannot see it, and infestations routinely run for years before anyone notices. By the time damage is visible, it is usually extensive and expensive. In Central Texas, where subterranean pressure is high and colonies stay active year-round, regular inspections and preventive treatment are not a nice-to-have. They are how you keep a repair bill from finding you.

Why do I have a termite problem?

Because you own a building in Central Texas. Subterranean termites live in the soil across essentially this whole region, and their workers forage outward in every direction, all the time. When a foraging trail hits wood at or near the ground, framing, a crawl space, a deck post, the colony starts feeding and builds a supply line that can eventually feed the whole nest.

Some properties make it easier: wood touching soil, moisture problems like leaky pipes or bad drainage, mulch piled against the foundation, and cracks in the slab or foundation walls that hand termites a direct route to the structure. New developments are not exempt either. The colonies that lived on that land before construction are still in the soil after the houses go up.

Where will I find termites?

Mostly, you will not, and that is the problem. Subterranean termites avoid open air, which is why professional inspections matter. The sign they cannot hide is their mud tubes: pencil-width tunnels of soil and saliva running up foundation walls and piers between the ground and the wood they are eating.

Inside a house, damage concentrates in crawl spaces, at the base of interior walls, under flooring, inside wall voids, and in the framing around windows and doors. Suspect wood sounds hollow when you knock on it and looks honeycombed if you open it up. And each spring in Central Texas, mature colonies send out swarmers, winged reproductives that fly off to start new colonies. Finding swarmers or piles of shed wings around windows, doors, and light fixtures is one of the clearest signs there is an active colony in or near the house.

How do I get rid of termites?

This is not a DIY category. A subterranean colony is large, complicated, and underground, and store-bought sprays kill only the individual termites they touch while the colony keeps chewing. Real termite control targets the colony itself, through a liquid termiticide barrier, a baiting system, or both, depending on where the activity is and how bad it is. We treat with Termidor, the #1 conventional termite treatment in the U.S.

Termite control is literally the first thing in our name. Accurate Termite and Pest Control has protected homes across Cedar Park, Leander, Austin, and greater Central Texas for over 25 years with thorough inspections, targeted treatment plans, and ongoing monitoring. The earlier a colony is found, the less it costs you, so if anything on this page sounds familiar, get in touch about our termite control services and book a free inspection.

How can I prevent termites in the future?

You cannot remove termites from Texas soil, but you can make your house a much harder target. Our techs recommend:

• Break every wood-to-soil contact around the house: deck posts, fence boards, door frames, any structural wood touching or buried in the ground.
• Hold mulch and wood chips at least six inches off the foundation. That layer holds moisture and feeds foraging termites at the same time.
• Fix leaking pipes, faucets, and AC condensation lines quickly. Subterranean termites go for damp wood first.
• Keep gutters and downspouts clear and draining away from the foundation instead of pooling against it.
• Ventilate crawl spaces so humidity cannot build up. Damp, still air under a house is termite weather.
• Seal cracks in the foundation, slab, and exterior walls. Even a hairline gap is a doorway to the wood above.
• Store firewood and lumber away from the house and off the ground so you are not staging their next meal at the foundation.
• Pull dead trees, stumps, and buried wood debris out of the yard. Colonies build up in them, then move on to the house.
• Book a professional termite inspection every year even when everything looks fine. These insects are excellent at staying hidden, and early detection is what keeps the repair bill small.
• Consider a prevention or monitoring program for standing protection and early warning before an infestation gets started.

You can also read about our home pest control and commercial pest control programs.