Termite Inspection and Control in Southern California

Our termite technicians will determine the type of wood-destroying organism your home or business is infested with. The most common termites in Southern California are either drywood or subterranean termites. Subterranean colonies nest underground and enter homes and wooden structures from the soil. The drywood termites live in much smaller colonies and work at a much slower rate than subterranean termites. They do not require contact with the soil to invade wooden structures. Drywood termites are extremely efficient, leaving almost nothing behind after they finish feeding on pieces of wood. Termites aren’t the only wood pest here in Southern California; powder post beetles, fungi, dry rot, and white rot are also prevalent. As part of our inspection, we will be looking for signs not easily identified by homeowners. Evidence of termites in a home is often found as piles of wings in window sills or in spider webs. These wings demonstrate swarming behavior; the termite colony is growing in size and splitting off to create new termite colonies. We generally find that subterranean colonies swarm in the Spring through early Summer and drywood colonies swarm in the late Summer through Fall. We frequently identify drywood termite colonies by their fecal droppings; which look like reddish-brown sawdust pellets and subterranean colonies by their tell-tale mud tubes. We can also determine the type of colony based on the wings of the swarmers and the type of damage done to the wood. Our technician will identify the species and then make treatment recommendations.