Termite Control & Treatment

Termites are a problem no home or business owner wants to face during their lifetime. These wood-chewing pests cause thousands of dollars in damage to a structure with little or no warning. If left unchecked, termites can destroy a home in 3 to 8 years! If you believe you may have termite damage then it is best to hire a professional termite control company for a thorough inspection.

Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia are in a moderate to heavy risk zone for subterranean termites making their prevention even more important to protect your home investment. In fact, real estate contract law requires that a termite or “wood destroying insect” inspection be conducted within 90 days of the settlement or closing of a home sale. This is why at Environmental Pest Control our goal is to give our clients peace of mind when it comes to the detection of, and control of, termites.

What Are Signs of Termites?

To determine if you have a termite infestation or termite damage, here are some things to look for:
1) Swarming, flying termites in or around the house
2) Mud tubes on the foundation of the home
3) Termite droppings (frass)
4) Damaged or hollowed out wood
5) Cracked or bubbling paint
6) Small holes in drywall

What do Termites Look Like?

Termites typically measure between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch long and have soft bodies with straight antennae. The queen termites are larger, capable of reaching over one inch long.

Termites vs. Flying Ants? Which One do I have?

Every year, we commonly deal with customers who are concerned that they may have termites only to find out they are flying ants! So lets talk about the differences. To tell the difference, we need to focus on the termite wings. Termite wings are uniform (same size) and are twice the length of their body. Flying ants have front wings that are longer than the back wings (not same size) and their wings are in proportion to their body.

What Kinds of Termites Are There?

There are three main types of Termites: drywood termites, dampwood termites, and subterranean termites. Drywood termites feed off of dry wood and are found in the pacific coastal region of the United States and down into Southern California. Conversely, dampwood termites feed on damp or wet wood and live in wet/humid climates such as Florida, Washington, Idaho, etc... Lastly, subterranean termites, as the name alludes, live, work, and play below the surface. Subterranean termites are the most common termite in the United States being found in all states except Alaska. Environmental Pest Control is a professional termite control company that removes Subterranean termite infestations.

How to Get Rid of Subterranean Termites?

Liquid Treatment – a liquid treatment is performed by trenching, or digging, around the perimeter of the foundation of a home and applying a liquid chemical treatment. At Environmental we only use products that contain fipronil (9.1%), which is the highest quality ingredient on the market specifically designed for the treatment of termites. Common products that contain fipronil (9.1%) are Taurus and Termidor. The goal with the liquid treatment is to create a barrier around the home’s foundation which kills termites on contact. Liquid treatments are highly effective when termites are present in or up against the home. The life span of a liquid treatment is 7-10 years so it is best to retreat, or as we call it a “booster” treatment, every 5-7 years to ensure there is no lapse in active protection.
Bait Stations – Bait stations are “tubes” that are planted into the ground, like a sprinkler head, and contain bait inside the tubes. The way baits work is that the termites find the bait station, come into contact with the bait, bringing it back to the termite colony, infecting the other termites, and killing the entire colony. This makes bait stations highly effective at seeking out and killing termite colonies that may be lurking underground around your property. Simply put, bait stations are great at protecting your home so that termites never get close to your home.

Environmental provides warranties for all of our termite services to provide peace of mind and value for our customers. Additionally, we have pest control plans that protect against termites and include year round protection from other insects and rodents. Call us today and say goodbye to termites!

Termite Control Services

Termite Control FAQ's

What areas do you service?

Please Click Here to see our entire MD, VA, and WV coverage areas.

What is the average cost for a termite treatment exterminator in the MD, VA, WV area?
What is the cost for a termite inspection?

Professional termite control and extermination costs vary widely depending on the market, the service type, the size of the structures to be treated, and if there is a warranty provided. costs for a termite exterminator vary from $400-$5,000. Price includes either liquid treatments (with or without drilling as needed) or bait station programs. Does not include fumigation. Most companies will perform a free termite inspection. We will. CLICK HERE to see a detail of our inspection process. CLICK HERE to see a complete list if average pest control prices.

How much is a home termite warranty? Are they worth it?

The average cost of a termite warranty $100-$300 per year. Our termite warranty includes the inspection and protection of your property and then a subsequent 1-year warranty. Each year termites cause $5 billion worth of damage in the USA. Buy a warranty from a reputable pest control company since prevention is much lower cost than treatment and damage repairs.

What happens if you find termites in my home? How do you exterminate them?

First, we identify the species, either eastern subterranean termites, dry wood Don’t panic! termites or Formosan subterranean termites. Next, we quote a professional and proven termite control and extermination treatment plan with a full warranty. There are 2 treatment options for termites – liquid perimeter treatment and bait stations - and Environmental offers both. For active termite infestations we use fipronil chemical (Taurus and/or Termidor) which is the highest quality chemical ingredient treatment on the market. Taurus and Termidor cannot be directly purchased or applied by homeowners. Environmental is a licensed pest control company that is authorized to purchase and safely apply the treatment. The life span of a fipronil chemical liquid termite treatment is 7-10 years.

Do you need a termite inspection to sell or refinance your house?

In order to sell or refinance a home in the states of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia - in almost all cases - you must have a termite inspection. In most cases, the buyer pays for this “termite report”. In Virginia, it is the seller’s responsibility to provide a wood-destroying insect report (WDI inspection) that checks for termite and carpenter ant damage. Most lenders will require a termite inspection (referred to as an NPMA-33 inspection report issued by The National Pest Management Association) before approving your mortgage loan and closing. We can perform the Wood Destroying Insect Inspection and Report you need. Realtors and home owners CLICK HERE to schedule your WDI inspection.

Does homeowners’ insurance cover termite damage?

Home termite damage and removal is rarely covered by your homeowner's insurance according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That's because termite damage is highly preventable via routine maintenance and inspection. Repair might be costly and require opening walls and flooring to replace weakened home foundations. Insurance companies usually don’t sell termite coverage, but Environmental Pest Control offers comprehensive warranties. Routine inspections are the best insurance you can buy!

What are the signs of termite damage?

Termites can be tough to discover before they cause significant damage. Termite damage happens slowly and over time. A colony of about 60,000 termites takes while to do significant damage but if undiscovered, the colony may grow to million and create a significant problem. To minimize damage, it’s crucial to catch the warning signs as soon as possible -preferably with annual termite inspections. Signs of a problem include: mud tubes on you foundation, flying termite swarms, rumbling or damaged wood, squeaky floorboards, peeling paint, hollow wood sounds when tapped, mounds of termite pellets or droppings, piles of wings, visible mazes in walls or furniture, swelling floors and ceilings.