Brief Description

Termites are wood-destroying insects that can damage homes, businesses, fences, decks, and other wooden structures. In Southeast Texas, subterranean termites are especially common because they thrive in warm, humid conditions.

Stephen Terry Pest Elimination provides professional termite inspections and treatment options for homes and businesses in Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, Baytown, Southeast Houston, and surrounding areas.

Signs of Infestation

You may have termites if you notice:

• Mud tubes on the foundation, brick, walls, or crawl space areas
• Swarming insects inside or around the property
• Discarded wings near windows, doors, or light fixtures
• Wood that sounds hollow when tapped
• Soft, damaged, or blistered wood
• Bubbling paint or damaged sheetrock
• Doors or windows that suddenly become hard to open
• Termite activity around fences, decks, wood piles, or landscaping timbers

If you see any of these signs, {schedule a professional inspection} (hyperlink) as soon as possible.

Control Process

Our termite control process is designed to identify the problem and recommend the right treatment for your structure.

1. Inspect — We look for termite activity, damage, entry points, and conditions that attract termites.
2. Identify — We determine whether termites are active and what type of termite pressure may be present.
3. Recommend — We explain the findings and recommend a treatment plan based on your property.
4. Treat — We apply professional termite treatment where needed to target the colony and protect the structure.
5. Monitor — We recommend follow-up inspections or ongoing protection when appropriate.

Why It Matters

Termites often stay hidden until damage is already underway. They can feed behind walls, under flooring, around plumbing areas, and inside structural wood without being seen.

The EPA notes that termites cause billions of dollars in structural damage every year, and property owners spend more than two billion dollars annually treating them. Early inspection and professional treatment can help protect your home before damage becomes more expensive to repair.

Prevention Tips

Help reduce termite risk around your property by following these steps:

• Keep firewood and scrap wood away from the structure
• Avoid wood-to-ground contact around the home
• Repair leaking pipes, faucets, and drainage issues
• Keep gutters and downspouts clear
• Reduce excess mulch near the foundation
• Trim shrubs and vegetation away from exterior walls
• Seal gaps around utility lines and plumbing penetrations
• Schedule routine termite inspections

Prevention helps, but it does not replace professional inspection and treatment when termites are active.

Pest Facts

• Termites do not sleep. They work around the clock.
• Termites eat cellulose, which is found in wood, paper, cardboard, and many plant materials.
• Worker termites are usually the ones causing the damage, but they are rarely seen in the open.
• A termite swarm does not always mean termites are inside your home, but it does mean a colony is nearby.
• Formosan subterranean termites were first found in Texas near the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Harris County, in 1956.
• Formosan termites can build aerial nests inside structures when enough moisture is available.

More Information

Termites are social insects that live in colonies made up of different castes. These castes usually include workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Workers gather food and maintain the colony. Soldiers protect the colony. Reproductives, including swarmers, are responsible for creating new colonies.

The most important termites for property owners in Southeast Texas are subterranean termites. The two economically important subterranean termite species in Texas are the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, and the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus.

Subterranean termites usually live in the soil and travel to structures through protected tunnels called mud tubes. These tubes help them stay moist while moving between the colony and a food source. Because they often enter from below or through hidden cracks, termite activity can go unnoticed for a long time.

Formosan subterranean termites are especially important in the Houston area. They are considered one of the most aggressive termite species in the country and can form very large colonies. Although they are called subterranean termites, Formosan termites may also build above-ground nests inside structures when moisture is available. This can increase their damage potential because they may not rely only on direct soil contact once established.

Termites are attracted to moisture, wood, shelter, and access. Leaking plumbing, poor drainage, clogged gutters, heavy mulch, wood piles, tree stumps, and wood-to-ground contact can all increase termite pressure around a property. However, even well-maintained homes can develop termite problems if colonies are active nearby.

The termite life cycle begins when winged reproductives, also called swarmers or alates, leave an established colony to mate and start new colonies. After finding a suitable location, they shed their wings and begin producing offspring. Over time, a colony can grow and send workers out to search for food. Because termites feed on cellulose, they may damage structural wood, flooring, trim, cabinets, fences, paper products, and other materials.

DIY termite treatment is difficult because the visible signs are usually only part of the problem. Spraying swarmers or damaged wood may kill the insects you can see, but it does not usually reach the colony. Effective termite control depends on proper identification, understanding how termites are entering the structure, choosing the right treatment method, and applying products in the correct areas.

A professional termite inspection helps determine whether termites are active, where activity is located, what conditions may be contributing to the problem, and what treatment approach makes the most sense. Stephen Terry Pest Elimination uses local experience and professional treatment methods to help protect homes and businesses from termite damage.If you suspect termite activity, do not disturb mud tubes, damaged wood, or swarmers before your inspection if possible. Taking photos can help, but leaving the evidence in place allows the technician to better evaluate the activity.