Termite Questions & Answers
Here are the termite questions Fresno homeowners ask most, answered in one place. Most answers come down to the same two things. Which species is it, and how far has it spread? A free inspection settles both, and the right treatment follows from there. If your question isn’t covered below, the contact page is the fastest way to ask it.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if I have drywood or subterranean termites?
Look at what they leave behind. Mud tubes running up the foundation mean subterranean termites, which live in the soil. Small piles of dry pellets called frass mean drywood termites, which live inside the wood itself. The two species are treated in completely different ways, so identifying the right one is the first step.
What does it mean if I see flying termites or piles of wings?
A mature colony is nearby, and it is spreading. Winged termites are called swarmers, and a colony only produces them after years of growth. Piles of matching shed wings on a sill or floor mean the same thing. This is the sign worth acting on fast, so schedule an inspection while the evidence is still there.
How do I tell a flying termite from a flying ant?
Check the waist and the wings. A termite swarmer has a thick, straight waist, straight antennae, and four wings of equal length. A flying ant has a pinched waist, bent antennae, and two long wings over two short ones. The wings are the easiest tell when all you have is what's left on a windowsill.
When do termites swarm in Fresno?
In two waves. Subterranean termites fly after the first soaking fall and winter rains, usually on the first warm day that follows. Drywood termites fly on hot, still afternoons in late summer, roughly August into October. Each flight points to a different species, so the timing itself is a useful clue about what is on your house.
Are termites active in Fresno during winter?
Yes. Central Valley winters are mild, so subterranean termites keep feeding all year, just deeper and more slowly. Drywood termites stay warm inside the wood they are eating. Winter is a fine time to treat and a bad time to assume the problem paused.
Are newer slab homes safe from termites?
No. A slab is just a lid, and subterranean termites come up under it through hairline cracks and the gaps around plumbing pipes. Most Fresno and Clovis homes built since the 1970s sit on slabs, and they see plenty of activity. Any soil treatment done at construction also wears out over time.
What happens during a termite inspection?
An inspector checks the spots where termites show up first. That means the attic, crawl space, garage, eaves, window and door frames, and the foundation line. They look for mud tubes, frass, damaged wood, and shed wings. A termite inspection normally ends with a written report, so you see what was found before any treatment decision.
How long does a termite inspection take?
Under an hour for most homes. A raised foundation adds crawl time, and a large or heavily built-out property runs longer. The written report follows the visit, so the appointment itself is the quick part.
Can I treat termites myself with store-bought spray?
Spray kills the termites you can see, and the colony never notices. Subterranean colonies live in the soil, often well away from the house. Drywood colonies live deep inside the wood. Surface spray misses both, and it often erases the evidence an inspector needed.
Do bait stations attract termites to my property?
No. Stations don't pull termites in from a distance. They intercept foragers already working the soil around your house. If bait is being taken, the termites were there first, and the stations are doing their job.
Do termites eat drywall?
They eat the paper facing on it. Termites are after cellulose, which is in paper and cardboard as well as wood. Rippled or bubbled drywall paper with faint tunnels underneath is a known termite sign. Moisture damage can look similar, which is one more question an inspection settles.
Do I always have to tent the house?
No. Tenting is for drywood infestations that are widespread or hidden where no local tool can reach. Subterranean termites are treated at the soil, never by tenting. A small, accessible drywood colony can often be treated in place. The call comes down to species, spread, and how reachable the infested wood is.
How long does termite treatment take?
Most termite treatments finish in a day, including liquid soil treatments and localized drywood work. Whole-house fumigation is the exception at about three days. That covers tenting, airing out, and a clearance test before anyone goes back in. Heat treatments usually wrap up the same day.
How long does a liquid soil treatment keep working?
Years, as long as the treated soil stays put. The termiticides in professional use are labeled for multi-year protection. Construction, new landscaping, or drainage problems can move or wash out treated soil. That is why re-inspection is still worth doing after a soil treatment.
Can termites come back after treatment?
A proper treatment ends the colony it targets, but a new colony can find the house years later. The pressure comes from the surrounding soil and the neighborhood, not from anything you did wrong. Periodic re-inspection or monitoring is standard practice after any treatment for exactly that reason.
Do I need a termite clearance to sell a house in Fresno?
No law requires one, but most Fresno sales end up with one anyway. Buyers, agents, and many lenders expect a wood-destroying-organism report, and contracts here usually put Section 1 items, the active infestation and damage, on the seller. An escrow termite inspection produces that report, and the clearance paperwork then moves through escrow with the rest of the sale documents.