NEED HELP? WE’RE AVAILABLE. CALL NOW. (253) 848 – 6000

NEED HELP? WE’RE AVAILABLE. CALL NOW.
(253) 848 – 6000

Termite Control & Prevention

Termites in general are unique in the insect world. They are capable of surviving solely on the nutrients they extract from cellulose found in wood. While they are important parts of our natural ecosystem, they also have the potential to cause substantial structural damage to our homes should they decide to take up residence.

  • Site Assessment – We commence by conducting a comprehensive inspection of your property to assess termite activity. Our inspection includes identifying the presence of termites, locating infestation sites, determining soil-to-wood contact areas, and evaluating any conducive conditions that may attract termites to your property.

  • Remedial Control Measures – We implement remedial control strategies to prevent termite entry into your home. Since subterranean termites nest in the soil beneath the home, our treatment is focused on the soil adjacent to the foundation perimeter. Utilizing trenching or sub-slab soil injection methods with a transferable material, this ensures complete eradication of the colony by creating a barrier to termite intrusion.

  • Preventative Service – Termites can pose a persistent threat to your home, requiring ongoing preventative measures. Our services not only eliminate current infestations but also protect your home from future attacks.

Our experienced technicians at Rambo Total Pest Control have the tools and skills needed to fully eliminate and protect you from future termite infestations.

Professional Termite Control Services

Termite activity and the damage they cause are a real concern throughout the United States. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we only need to worry about subterranean termites and dampwood termites. Luckily, our comprehensive pest control packages offer unrivaled protection against subterranean termites, and dampwood termites generally only require replacement of the damaged wood.

rtpc dangers of termites

The Dangers of Termite Infestations

Subterranean termites can do extensive damage to your home if left unchecked long enough. There are several local myths around these termites in Western Washington, such as it rains too often for them to be here, it gets too cold, or the soil type just does not allow subterranean termites to infest in these areas. Unfortunately, these are not true.

Subterranean termites can be found throughout the Puget Sound and farther throughout the state. They live in a central nest in the soil that can be several inches deep or several feet. A single colony can branch out in over 100ft in every direction and there can be several colonies within a single acre of land.

Some of the common traits among termite species are:

  • Subterranean Termites build mud tubes between their home in the soil, and the wood of a structure. These mud tubes help them to retain humidity in their environment as well as protection from the outside world. Fortunately for us, these mud tubes are also one of the first indicators of an infestation. They let us know where to look and where to focus our treatments.

  • The workers in a subterranean termite colony travel through these mud tubes and harvest the cellulose material from the wood of the structure. They might spend up to three days on this journey before cycling back into the colony underground to share their resources with the rest of the colony.

  • Dampwood termites are classified as a “secondary wood-destroying organism” meaning that they only attack water-damaged wood. Due to this fact, the advised solution is almost always going to be to simply remove and replace the damaged wood and prevent further water damage from occurring.

  • It is common to see dampwood termites swarming in late summer, usually at dusk on a warm night. This swarming activity can often stimulate phone calls to our office, but generally there is no treatment required. They are simply emerging from rotting stumps, railroad ties, or other exterior areas. They are clumsy flyers and often attracted to porch lights, but their presence is not generally an indication of anything that needs to be addressed. The smaller subterranean termite swarmers are generally something that should be inspected, so be sure to call or send our office pictures of what you are seeing.  We will happily work with you to determine what type of termite you are dealing with.

Termite Identification

There are several species of termite in the United States of America, but Western Washington is home to only two: the Western subterranean termite and the dampwood termite. Both of these termites serve the purpose of advancing the decay of dead wood to maintain a balanced ecosystem:

rtpc termite control subterranean termites

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites (Subs) live underground, allowing them to retain the moisture they need to survive. As they travel, they will build mud shelter tubes. These tubes help them retain moisture as they travel and offer them protection. Subs are very small when compared to dampwood termites, but they can have a very large colony size, which can contain almost one hundred thousand termites. That many termites can do severe damage in a very short period of time. Their coloration varies from a very light cream color for the workers, to dark brownish black in the winged reproductives. Usually when subterranean termites are identified in a structure, we only find evidence of their presence; rarely do you find the actual termites themselves.

The Western subterranean termites found in Western Washington are seasonal eaters, only actively feeding during the warmer months. They also branch out in all directions, finding multiple food sources. This means when you find subterranean termite mud tubes or wood they have damaged, you may not find live termites. They may just be eating at a different location or in a state of hibernation. Remember – just because you don’t see live termites doesn’t mean they aren’t there. When subterranean termites are discovered damaging your home or business, it is important that the correct treatment is performed to eliminate the infestation.

rtpc termite control dampwood termites

Dampwood Termites

As the name would indicate, these pests live in damp or moisture-damaged wood. Dampwood termites need high levels of moisture to live. They can often be found nesting in wood siding under a leaking gutter, behind an improperly sealed porch, or in a rotting tree stump or landscape timbers. Dampwood termites are rather large, with adults averaging 3/4 of an inch in length, and are cream colored to brownish in appearance.

Because they rarely leave the nest site, dampwood termites are most frequently seen during their reproductive swarming season in the late summer months at dusk. Many people confuse their mating flights with that of swarming ants, but there are several distinct differences between termites and ants. All termites have two pairs of equal-length wings; reproductive ants also have two pairs of wings, but if you look closely, you will find that one pair of wings on an ant is longer than the other. Dampwood termites are usually much larger as well, with two distinct body segments (head and thorax) whereas ants have three distinctive body segments (head, abdomen, and thorax).

If dampwood termites are identified, treatment is not necessary, as they require constant high levels of moisture. When they are found damaging a building, it is the result of a moisture condition; correct the moisture condition and the dampwood termites cannot survive.

rtpc termite control methods

Termite Control Methods

Treatment methods to resolve subterranean termite infestations are determined on a case-by-case basis. The area of infestation, the extent of the infestation, the size of your home, and the environment around your home are all factors that must be considered when determining the best course of action.

Control of subterranean termites is an entirely different process than controlling other insects. Because the majority of the colony lives underground, it’s useless to simply treat the wood they are infesting. The treatment must be focused on the soil under the structure. By establishing a chemical barrier between the soil and the wood structure, we can prevent termite colonies from accessing your home.

  • Exterior Perimeter/Localized Interior (EP/LI) Structural Termite Treatment – This is the most recommended subterranean termite treatment, which uses the product Termidor HE. This requires a full exterior perimeter foundation treatment. Wherever soil is against the foundation, we will use one of two tactics. We can dig a small trench about two to four inches wide and about four inches deep, treat the trench and then refill the trench with the soil which was removed. Alternatively, we can rod and inject material directly into the soil. The surrounding landscaping and soil type will determine which method is used.

  • Treatment of Cement Slab Contact Areas – Wherever a cement slab contacts the exterior foundation, we will drill a hole the size of a dime approximately two to four inches off the foundation, one hole every 18 inches. These holes are then used to inject material directly into the soil beneath the slab. The holes are then plugged and patched with standard patch cement. We do patch the holes but do not match the color. These holes will be visible after the treatment is completed. If you have concerns about this, please discuss this with your technician at the time of the initial inspection to see if alternative treatment methods can be implemented.

  • Treatment Methods for Wall Voids and Wood Members – Lastly, we may perform a small local treatment at the spot of visible activity inside the home, if necessary and safely accessible. These treatments can consist of drilling and injecting infested wood members, foaming of wood members or wall voids, drilling of an interior slab with soil injections, or surface applications to exposed wood members. Each situation is unique, and we will put a solid plan together to protect your home. The materials that are used are designed and labeled for applications in, under, or around your home, and they provide complete colony elimination. Your technician will discuss all treatment options with you at the time of the inspection and select the safest and most effective treatment methods for your home.

All of our Exterior Perimeter/Localized Interior (EP/LI) Structural Termite Treatments come with a Five-Year retreatment warranty.

Termite Prevention Tips

  • Moisture Control – Subterranean Termites are considered “primary wood-destroying insects” meaning they do not require an overly moist condition to nest beneath, and feed on the wood of a structure. With that said, they certainly do thrive in damp conditions. We recommend doing what you can to make sure gutters and downspouts are routing water away from the foundation, and other potential water sources are not contributing to the potential infestation.

  • Be Vigilant – If you have concerns related to termites, give our office a call and we can help to determine what the best course of action might be. These infestations do not resolve on their own, and there is no reason to delay, as that can only cause the problem to escalate.