Termite heat treatment for Fresno homes
High heat kills drywood termites deep inside the wood, with no fumigant chemicals and re-entry the same day.
Killing termites with heat instead of chemicals
Drywood termites die at about 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Not air temperature. The wood itself has to reach that heat, all the way to its core. A termite heat treatment in Fresno does exactly that. The crew tents or masks off the area being treated. That can be the whole house or a single section, like a garage or an attic. Heaters push hot air in while fans keep it moving. Temperature probes sit in the thickest, coldest wood. The heat holds until every probe reads lethal. Then the gear comes out, the house cools, and you are back inside that evening.
That schedule is the draw. There is no fumigant, the poison gas used in tenting. There is no gas shutoff and no two nights in a motel. Nothing chemical goes into the house at all. That is why heat is one of only two whole-structure drywood methods California recognizes. Fumigation is the other, and each one covers ground the other cannot.
Heat has honest limits, and they are physical. Anything that would suffer in a hot attic suffers here too. Candles, medicines, and instruments go out before the heaters start. Mass is the other enemy. A rafter pressed against a tile roof, or a sill plate sitting on concrete, dumps its heat into the material behind it. Those are the cold spots the probes exist to catch. A house too dense to heat through, or too drafty to hold temperature, usually gets pointed toward a different method.
Heat vs. fumigation at a glance
Time out of the house
- Heat treatment
- A few hours, back the same day
- Fumigation
- About three days, two nights away
Chemicals involved
- Heat treatment
- None, heat only
- Fumigation
- Fumigant gas, gone after airing out
Coverage
- Heat treatment
- Dense spots can stay too cool
- Fumigation
- Gas reaches every space
Prep burden
- Heat treatment
- Heat-sensitive items go out
- Fumigation
- Bagged food, gas shutoff, nights away
| What matters to you | Heat treatment | Fumigation |
|---|---|---|
| Time out of the house | A few hours, back the same day | About three days, two nights away |
| Chemicals involved | None, heat only | Fumigant gas, gone after airing out |
| Coverage | Dense spots can stay too cool | Gas reaches every space |
| Prep burden | Heat-sensitive items go out | Bagged food, gas shutoff, nights away |
Prep, timeline, and where heat fits
Getting ready is lighter than prepping for a tent, but it is real work. The heat-sensitive items leave the house first. Pets and plants spend the day somewhere else. Every room and closet needs to be open so the hot air can move through. Start to finish usually takes most of a working day. It takes a few hours to bring the structure up to temperature. The heat then holds at target while the probes confirm the wood cores are lethal. After that the house cools down and gets released the same day.
In the full lineup of termite treatments, heat fills a specific slot. It fits drywood infestations too spread out for spot work, in homes where a fumigant is unwelcome or three days away is impossible. It does nothing for subterranean termites, which live in the soil where no heater can follow. The species and the spread decide the method. An inspection is what settles both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is heat treatment as effective as fumigation?
Yes, wherever the wood truly reaches a lethal core temperature. Heat kills drywood termites at every life stage. The catch is coverage. Wood against concrete, tile, or thick masonry can shed heat faster than the equipment adds it. Crews put probes in the coldest spots and hold the heat until every probe hits target. In dense or hard-to-reach construction, fumigation is the safer call.
What has to leave the house before a heat treatment?
Anything that would suffer in a very hot attic. Candles, crayons, aerosol cans, medicines, wine, chocolate, vinyl records, and some electronics and instruments go out. Furniture and clothing stay put. A full written list usually comes with scheduling.
Does heat treatment leave any residue?
No. The only thing added to the house is hot air. There is nothing to wash, air out, or wipe down afterward. That is why families can move back in the same evening.
Does heat work on subterranean termites?
No. Subterranean termites live in the soil under and around the house, where no heater can reach them. Their colonies are treated at the soil instead. Heat is a tool for drywood termites living inside the wood.