You have termites. But what should you do about them? Luckily, there are numerous options available to Tampa residents, from traditional termiticides to chemical-free alternatives. Below we have gathered all you need to know about how to get rid of termites in Tampa.
How to Get Rid of Termites in Tampa
There are several options for getting rid of termites in Tampa, Florida. Most people know about fumigation, also commonly referred to as “tenting.” But fumigation is the most extreme and invasive option and always the last resort. Depending on the level of infestation, one of the other less invasive options could be the best option for your home.
Liquid Termiticide
Termiticides are long-lasting chemical agents applied around the perimeter of your home. Liquid termiticide is the traditional method of termite control and may mean drilling through porches, patios, and adjacent concrete around your home where the liquid is injected. It can also be used as a soil treatment for subterranean termites.
There are two chemical options available, one is a repellent to keep the termites away and the other is a non-repellent but lethal chemical to kill existing termites.
Pros
- Acquired easily
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Invasive
- Can require drilling
Note: Termiticides also come in dusts and foams.
Bait Termiticide
While not a quick fix, this treatment is the standard option when treating your home for subterranean termites since they live below ground. Bait termiticide works by drawing termites to the bait to consume, it then allows time for termites to return to their colony to spread the termiticide among the colony.
Hollow plastic cylinders with cellulose, which termites are drawn to, and insecticides are installed below the ground around the perimeter of your home. As termites make their way to the bait they leave behind a colony-specific scent. This will help draw more termites from their colony to the bait, continuing the spread of the poison.
Due to the nature of this treatment, it can be a painstakingly slow process. It may take months for termites to find the bait let alone for the slow-acting insecticide to begin to take effect once it is ingested. It can also be a drain on your pocketbook since more visits from professionals are often required to monitor activity and add or replenish bait stations.
Pros
- Easier placement
- Not as invasive
Cons
- Expensive
- Termites might not find the trap
- More frequent monitoring required
Heat Treatment
An eco-friendly option free from chemicals, this treatment uses heat to kill termites. The wood in the structure of your home is heated to a minimum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 33 minutes using heaters. This will eventually kill off the termites feasting on your home.
Heat treatments are a good option for spot-treating termites in a specific area, such as the attic. This is often the preferred method for termite treatment in apartments and condos as well since neighboring units are largely unaffected.
While this may be a great way to treat termites without the use of harsh chemicals, it’s not always 100% effective. It can be difficult for wood on tile or concrete to heat up to a lethal level.
Pros
- Offers spot, area, or whole-area treatment
- Less-time consuming
- Treatment is eco-friendly
Cons
- Can be difficult to heat the wood
- Not 100% effective
- There can be heat damage to home objects (This can be avoided with advance preparation.)
Fumigation (Tenting)
The most dreaded treatment of all is fumigation, also commonly referred to as “tenting.” It’s by far the most expensive and inconvenient treatment option.
Families have to vacate the home for a few days. During this time, an airtight tent is placed over your home while a specific amount of gas fumigant is pumped into your home and left for at least 24 hours. This allows the fumigant to penetrate deeply into every nook and cranny where termites could be lurking.
The reason this tends to be the go-to option for extreme infestations is that it is highly effective and works on all termite types. Bonus: Fumigation doesn’t discriminate when it comes to pests. It will kill all pests in its path, not just termites.
Pros
- Highly effective treatment
- Will kill all pests
Cons
- Drawn out process
- Families have to leave for at least 24 hours
- Costly
Note: Remember fumigation is a treatment for your home only. If you have subterranean termites, you will need to use another method to treat the termites living in the soil to cure your termite problem.
Non-Chemical Spot Treatments
If you are looking for a non-toxic, eco-friendly treatment, there are three possible options: Freeze, microwave, and electrocute. Note: These treatments are effective only with drywood termites.
- Freeze: This method uses liquid nitrogen and injects it into the infected areas to freeze the termites to death.
- Microwave: Technicians use the same technology as a microwave oven to “cook” the termites to death in three minutes or less.
- Electrocute: This option uses a machine called an Electro-Gun to combine high-frequency and high-voltage electrical currents to electrocute the termites.
Pros
- Chemical-free
- Spot treatment
- No need to move out
Cons
- Not effective for all termites
- Not recommended for severe infestations
- Not as widely available as traditional treatments
Signs of Termites in Tampa
It’s often hard to detect a termite infestation since the little buggers mostly live out of sight, inside walls, and underground, but there are a few things you can watch out for. Here are signs that you may have termites in your Tampa home:
Mud Tubes
Subterranean termites create tunnels that serve as bridges between their colony and the wood they are working hard to consume. These tubes serve as a way to protect themselves from predators as well as conserve moisture, which they need to survive.
These pencil-sized tubes are about 1/4 to 1 inch or larger in diameter. These tunnels are typically crafted from tiny pieces of soil, wood, or other debris and provide an optimal environment for the termites. The termites are able to maintain their preferred temperature and humidity levels in these tubes.
Types of mud tubes:
- Working mud tubes: Thousands of termites regularly use this high-traffic path between the nest and their food source.
- Exploratory mud tubes: These are tunnels that are not as sturdy as working tubes and are a sign you likely have an infestation.
- Swarm mud tubes: Created by worker termites, swarmers use these tubes to migrate from the soil to a new wood source to establish a new colony.
- Drop mud tubes: These tunnels serve as a path from their food source back to the soil.
Pro tip: Mud tubes are a common sign of subterranean termites.
Termite Droppings
No one likes thinking about droppings of any kind inside their home. Whether they are droppings from rodents or termites, neither is a good sign. If you find a pile of what appears to be miniature mouse droppings, then it’s likely that you have come across termite droppings.
These droppings are about 1 millimeter long or 0.03 of an inch. The mounds can resemble small piles of salt or pepper, but the pellet color will vary depending on the color of the wood the termites are enjoying.
Pro tip: Termite droppings are a sign of drywood termites and one of the few signs of activity they leave.
Piles of Termite Wings
Reproductive termites, known as swarmer termites, have wings that resemble fish scales and are often found in piles near windowsills and doors. Male and female swarmers pair up in flight and mate, then land and discard their wings.
Pro tip: Common with all types of termites.
Cracked, Bubbling, or Peeling Paint
Have you recently noticed an area of paint bubbling or peeling? Typically this is going to be a sign of moisture from a leak. With luck, the leak is where your problem begins and ends. But, termites are attracted to moisture, or more specifically, damp or decaying wood.
Fix any leaks quickly and repair damage to the wood to avoid attracting termites to your buffet of moist wood. What to do if you see this: Check for leaks and see if the wood is soft. Once you rule out leaks as the root of the problem, contact a professional to perform an inspection.
Pro tip: Problems with paint on your walls can be a sign of subterranean termites.
Damaged Wood
With wood as their main food source, anywhere there is wood in your home is fair game for termites. Unfortunately, termite damage in wood isn’t as easy as just seeing tiny bite marks.
Since they eat the wood from the inside out, you likely won’t see visible damage until there is already significant damage. If you suspect termites, do a tap test. Tap on the wood to test it. If it sounds hollow, then that could be a sign of termite damage.
Visible signs of damaged wood:
- Drooping drywall
- Blistering wood
- Crumbling wood
- Discolored drywall
- Pinpoint holes
Small pinpoint holes in your wood are another sign you might have termites. These termite holes are created when they make a way to exit a wall they have finished devouring and are ready to move on.
Pro tip: This is common with drywood termites.
Damaged Flooring
While it might be quite obvious why you would have termite damage in your wood flooring, termites don’t discriminate when it comes to damaging your flooring. The soft wood often used in subflooring and support beams is a termite’s 5-star restaurant.
Issues with carpeting, tile, laminate, as well as wood flooring could all point to termites chomping away at your subfloor. Even if you have hardwood floors, your subfloor is likely to be eaten first. If you see damage to your hardwood, then you probably have significant damage beneath the floor.
Squeaky Floors
As termites feast on your flooring, this will naturally weaken the boards, making them more sensitive to movement. Creaks and squeaks in your floor could be from the weakened boards rubbing against each other or hardware meant to hold them in place.
Floor Joists
These are the framing components that support the floor in a house. The weight of furniture and appliances can cause floors with weakened floor joists to collapse. Repairs on floor joists can often be difficult and expensive since they are a structural component of the flooring.
Loose Floor Tiles
Tiles can become loose when there is moisture created by termites. The moisture can cause the adhesion to fail, resulting in loose tile. Floor joists damaged by termites could also be to blame for loose tiles.
Laminate Floors
Termite problems with laminate flooring can often appear to be water damage. Floors damaged from termites will blister and sag. Sometimes, the termites will even chew through the laminate itself creating small holes.
If termites have gotten to your laminate, all damaged flooring will have to be replaced as repairing laminate floors isn’t possible.
Types of Termites in Tampa
There are three main types of termites we encounter in Tampa: subterranean, drywood, and dampwood. Within each type, there are three castes of termites that all serve their purpose to create and maintain a colony.
- Soldiers: These are the army of the nest. They are responsible for defending the colony.
- Workers: This is the main group of the colony that performs all the vital tasks of gathering food and water, constructing new tunnels, caring for the young, cleaning, maintaining, and repairing the nest.
- Reproductive/Swarmers: These are the king and queen or the parents of the colony and have wings.
Subterranean Termites
While there are several common termite species in Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, we are mostly fighting the Formosan subterranean termite along with a few outbreaks of the Florida darkwinged subterranean termite.
Tampa has also been home to scattered attacks from the native subterranean termites along with a small outbreak of Asian subterranean termites that stayed contained to the outbreak area.
Subterranean termite physical characteristics:
- 1/8 to 1 inch long
- White to black, brown, or reddish
Drywood Termites
These termites are often difficult to detect because when they establish a new nest, they seal the hole used to enter the wood, and then don’t leave. They also tend to have smaller colonies that will take years to fully mature. The main way to tell if you have drywood termites is if you find piles of droppings that can resemble salt or pepper.
The West Indian drywood termite is fairly prevalent throughout the Tampa Bay area along with scattered outbreaks of the Florida drywood, among numerous other drywood termites.
Drywood termite physical characteristics:
- 1/4 to 1 inch long
- Cream-white to light brown colored
Dampwood Termites
We don’t see many of these in Florida as they are most often found in Western states such as Montana and Washington. However, Florida dampwood termites have been known to pop up periodically.
Dampwood termite physical characteristics:
- 1/2 to 5/8 inch long
- Large head
- Light to dark brown with streaks of yellow or red in their body
- Bigger than drywood and subterranean termites
How to Prevent Termites
Knowing what can lure termites to your home and eliminating these things is key to preventing a termite infestation in your home.
- Hire a pro to do an annual termite inspection. They have the tools and know-how to catch termite activity early.
- Be sure to quickly remove any rotting wood as Termites are drawn to diseased or dead wood.
- Store piles of firewood away from your home and off the ground. Keep it covered so it doesn’t get wet and rot.
- Fix all water leaks or drainage issues quickly to keep from attracting termites.
- Treat all wood before it touches the soil.
- Inspect all your wood regularly in outdoor areas such a deck or patio, and outdoor furniture.
- Be sure all crawl spaces and attics have screened vents.
- Be sure to get rid of any moisture buildup near your foundation with splash blocks for your spigot and gutters.
How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?
As with most things when it comes to treating pests of any kind, several things will drive the cost of termite treatment. The infestation’s size, termite type, and treatment type will all factor into the total cost.
Generally, you can expect to pay about $558 for termite treatment. Most homeowners see treatment costs between $275 to $863. Some people even find treatment for as low as $135 while on the other end of the scale, the termite treatment can be as much as $1,390.
Treatment type:
- Fumigation tenting: $1 to $4 per square foot or $10 to $20 per linear foot
- Chemical treatment: $4 to $14.50 per linear foot
- Bait treatment: $7 to $11 per linear foot
- Heat tenting: $1 and $2.50 per square foot or $10 per linear foot
FAQ About Termites in Tampa
What Time of Year are Termites Active in Tampa?
Since we live in a subtropical climate, termites can be active year-round. Termites are attracted to warm, humid places, making Florida a termite’s playground. While termites can be active all year in Florida, they are most active in the spring, when termites swarm.
Can You Have More Than One Type of Termite?
Yes, you can have more than one type of termite feeding on your home at the same time. It’s important to identify which type or types of termites you have as this will determine the best method to exterminate them.
What are the Most Common Termites in Tampa?
The most prominent type of termite in Tampa is the Formosan subterranean. The West Indian drywood and native subterranean termites have scattered outbreaks throughout the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg areas.
Ready to Banish Termites From Your Property?
When you are ready to bid farewell to the termites that have taken up residence inside your home, connect with the best local termite control experts.
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