Termite Control in Florida, Explained
Florida has the heaviest termite pressure in the continental United States, and it is home to both major categories of termite. Everything about your treatment, the method, the price, the warranty, follows from which species you have. That is the single most useful thing a homeowner can understand before signing anything.
The two termites that matter in Florida
Drywood termites
Drywood termites live entirely inside the wood they eat: attic framing, fascia, furniture, window frames. No soil contact, no mud tubes. The telltale sign is their droppings, small piles that look like coffee grounds or sand appearing below kick out holes. Because colonies can be scattered through a structure invisibly, widespread drywood infestations are the reason tent fumigation exists.
Subterranean termites
Subterranean termites, including the aggressive Formosan variety established across South Florida, live in the soil and commute into your home through mud tubes you can sometimes see on foundation walls. They are responsible for most of the serious structural damage in the state. Tenting does nothing for them, because the colony is in the ground; treatment happens at the soil.
The treatments, honestly compared
Tent fumigation
The whole structure is sealed under tarps and filled with a gas that penetrates all wood. It is the definitive fix for widespread drywood infestation: everything in the envelope is treated, including what no inspector could see. The tradeoffs are real: two to three nights out of the house, plants and food handled per protocol, and typical costs of $1 to $3 per square foot. It also has zero preventive effect; the day the tent comes off, reinfestation is possible, which is why warranties matter.
No tent drywood treatments
Localized drywood colonies can sometimes be treated by drilling and injecting the affected wood, or with borate applications on accessible framing. Appropriate when an inspection genuinely supports that the infestation is contained; oversold when a company simply leads with whatever avoids the tent. If a no tent quote arrives without a detailed inspection behind it, treat it skeptically.
Soil treatments and bait systems for subterranean termites
Liquid treatments create a treated zone in the soil around the foundation. Bait systems place monitored stations around the property that workers carry back to the colony. Liquid acts faster; bait systems shine for ongoing protection and for construction types where trenching is impractical, and they carry annual monitoring fees. Both are legitimate; the right choice is property specific.
How to read a termite proposal
- Species identification first. If the proposal does not name the termite species, the inspection was not finished.
- Method matched to species. Tenting quoted for subterranean termites, or soil treatment for a drywood problem, is a wrong answer regardless of price.
- Warranty type. A repair warranty covers future damage; a retreat warranty only promises more chemicals. The difference is worth real money.
- Renewal terms. Annual bond renewals of $250 to $500 keep the warranty alive. Know the number before you sign, not at renewal time.
- Real estate context. Florida home sales commonly involve a wood destroying organism (WDO) inspection report; if you are buying or selling, the treatment history and transferable warranty belong in the conversation.