Inspection for eastern subterranean termites and their mud tubes, with treatment options explained before any work starts.
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A termite inspection looks for signs of subterranean termites and the conditions that let them in, then sets out treatment options before anything is applied. The eastern subterranean termite is the main concern for North Carolina homes, and in Charlotte swarms can appear from late winter into early autumn. Charlotte Pest Control connects Mecklenburg County homeowners with a local technician.
Termites rarely show themselves until the damage is well along. A subterranean colony feeds on wood in contact with the soil, out of sight, and the first clue is often a scatter of winged insects near a window, a light or a door. In Charlotte a swarm can appear from late winter into early autumn, and it is the reason many homeowners first pick up the phone.
A swarm is not the whole story, though. Outdoor swarmers near a stump or a timber do not by themselves mean the house is infested, but swarmers found indoors usually do. A colony can take three to five years to produce swarmers, so a home may hold termites for a long time before anyone sees a wing. That is why an inspection looks for evidence, not for a single insect.
A termite inspection is a careful look at the foundation, the framing, the crawl space or slab edges and the places where moisture gathers. The technician explains what was found and which treatment routes fit the house before any work is agreed. (855) 974-4733 is the quickest way to arrange a visit.
Do not dig a trench along the foundation, pour a product into the soil or open a wall that shows tubes yourself. Disturbing a colony can push it deeper into the structure and make the work harder. Keep firewood and mulch away from the house, and call (855) 974-4733 before any soil or structural work is done.
The inspector checks the soil line, the gap between the foundation and the grade, mulch and wood in contact with the house, and any slab edge or pier that shows a tube. Downspouts and irrigation that wet the base of the wall are noted as conditions.
Joists, sill plates, the subfloor and any wood post are probed where they can be reached. Moisture and ventilation are noted, because damp wood draws termites that dry wood would not.
Baseboards, door frames, window sills and the attic are checked for tubes, discarded wings and damaged wood. Any indoor swarmer or fresh tube is recorded with its exact location.
Live activity, past activity and visible damage are reported as separate findings, because each one changes the plan. Old evidence in a home is not the same as a colony that is working today.
Liquid soil treatment, baiting and moisture correction are the usual routes. The technician explains the difference, the areas each would cover and what the household should expect during the work. The price is confirmed on site before work starts.
Not always. Outdoor swarmers near stumps or timbers do not on their own mean the structure is infested, but swarmers found inside the house usually do. Whether a home holds a live colony is answered by inspecting the wood and the soil, not by a single insect.
Eastern subterranean termites swarm during the day, often after warm rain, and a flight can come from a colony that never reaches the house. A swarm outdoors is therefore a reason to inspect rather than a verdict. Many ants swarm in the same weeks, which causes confusion.
Indoor swarmers are different. Wings on a windowsill, in a bathroom or beside a light fixture suggest a colony close enough to enter the structure, so the inspection focuses on the spot where the wings were found.
Keep a few wings if you can. An inspector can compare them with ant wings, which differ in size and in the shape of the body and antennae, and that comparison often settles the question before any probing begins.
A subterranean colony can stay hidden for years, because it feeds inside wood and in covered soil tubes. A colony can take three to five years to produce swarmers, so a home can carry activity long before a winged insect appears. Regular inspection is the only dependable way to catch it early.
Termites work up from the soil through foundation cracks, along utility penetrations and across wood that touches the ground. Their tunnels are built to stay covered, which is why damage often shows only when a floor feels soft or a door begins to bind.
Damage is found most often in the hidden framing. Sill plates, floor joists and subfloor boards can be eaten from within while the trim still looks sound. Sounding the wood and probing it reveals what the eye cannot, which is why the inspector does not rely on a glance.
Early findings usually mean a smaller job. A single damaged joist is a different repair from a sagging floor, so an inspection made soon after the first sign tends to leave fewer options that need major work.
The right treatment depends on where the colony is, how the house is built and what protection is already in place. A home on a slab, a home over a crawl space and a home with a finished basement need different approaches, and the technician explains which applies before work is agreed.
Construction matters. A crawl space gives access to the joists and the soil, while a slab foundation hides the entry point under trim and flooring. The inspection records which type the house has and where a treatment can reach.
Past treatment matters too. A home that has been treated before may already carry a barrier, so the inspector checks the paperwork and the condition of the treated soil before proposing another application.
Expect questions about access, pets and how the rooms around the work are used. Answering them before the visit lets the technician plan the application without repeated trips to the house.
A barrier applied to the soil along the foundation and into the voids where termites travel. It is a long-established approach, and it targets the ground a colony would use to reach the structure. The application is planned around the slab, the crawl space and any landscape beds.
Stations set in the soil around the house hold material that termites feed on, and they are checked on a schedule. It is an alternative to a liquid barrier and suits some homes better than others. The termite baiting page explains how it works.
Termites need moisture and wood contact to thrive. Fixing gutters, grading soil away from the foundation, removing wood debris and cutting back plantings takes away the conditions a colony depends on, whichever treatment is chosen.
Subterranean termites are the concern here. The eastern subterranean termite is the main North Carolina homeowner termite, and it depends on soil contact and moisture, both of which a Piedmont lot can supply. Many lots in Charlotte sit on red clay, which tends to hold water against a foundation after heavy rain.
The swarm calendar matters for planning. Swarms in Charlotte typically run from late winter into September or October, often in the daytime after warm rain. A swarm seen in March and one seen in September are both good reasons to ask for an inspection, and neither one settles the question alone.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Stations placed in the soil around the home and checked on a schedule, as an alternative to a liquid soil treatment.
The state's WDIR-100 statement on wood-destroying insects, issued only after an inspection, explained for buyers and sellers.
Pest and moisture inspection of the crawl space under a Charlotte home, covering termites, spiders, rodents and the damp that draws them.
Carpenter ant work for Charlotte homes: finding the damp or decayed wood they excavate and fixing the moisture that draws them.
No honest price for pest control in Charlotte, NC can come from a web page, so this guide does not give one.
NC State Extension says subterranean termites in North Carolina swarm from late winter into September or October, mostly in daytime and often after warm rain.
In North Carolina, structural pest control is licensed by the NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division.
In North Carolina, a written statement on wood-destroying insects in a structure offered for sale must be made on the WDIR-100 form, after an inspection, by a licensee.
Standard homeowner policies usually exclude termite and vermin damage, and a policy may treat sudden water or fire damage differently.
Consumer products are sold for termites, but entry points and colony locations are hard to reach without a full inspection. A technician can see the whole structure and the soil conditions, and matches the treatment to what was found.
Usually the household can stay for a soil treatment, but the technician will say which areas must be cleared and how long a product needs to dry before people or pets return.
Probing shows whether a board is sound. Termite damage often hides behind an intact surface, and a probe or screwdriver finds the soft wood that a visual look misses.
No. A termite inspection looks for activity and damage in order to plan treatment. A wood-destroying insect report for a sale is a separate written statement on the WDIR-100 form, with its own rules, and the home sales page explains how it differs.