Termite treatment in San Diego County

Drywood termites push fecal pellets out through kickout holes less than 2mm in diameter, and UC IPM says those pellets have six hexagonal sides and are diagnostic for drywood termites. Subterranean termites need soil moisture and build earthen shelter tubes, often called mud tubes, between the soil and the wood. UC IPM also warns that it is not possible to determine, from fecal pellets alone, whether the infestation is currently active, which is why the licensed inspection comes before any treatment recommendation.

Not always, and UC IPM lays the trade-off out plainly. A whole-structure treatment treats all infestations at once, accessible and inaccessible, and has an advantage over localized treatments in that it should eliminate all infestations, even hidden ones. Localized treatment is more restrictive and is often applied to a single board or small group of boards, and because detection is imperfect, one can never be sure all infestations have been treated when applying localized treatments. The inspection report is where that call gets made, and state law gives you the right to seek a second opinion from another company.

Get it in writing, because state law requires it. Business and Professions Code section 8516 says the report and any contract entered into shall also state specifically when any guarantee for the work is made, and if so, the specific terms of the guarantee and the period of time for which the guarantee shall be in effect. If a guarantee extends beyond three years, the registered company has to keep the original inspection reports, field notes and notices of completion for the whole guarantee period and for a year after it expires. Read those terms before you sign, and ask what a callback costs once the guarantee ends.

Yes. A termites exterminator, pest control for termites, and termite treatment all describe the same work, and treating termites always starts from the inspection report rather than a phone description. Fumigation for termites is one option that report can point to, used when activity has spread through the structure, while contained drywood activity is often handled with localised injection or heat instead.

No source on file gives a general lifespan, and the honest answer is that it depends on the method and on the contract. UC IPM notes that, like fumigants, heat treatments have no residual effect, so neither prevents a fresh infestation later. Its own advice is to read your guarantee carefully and consider an annual inspection service. Because state law requires the guarantee period to be written into the report and the contract, that document is where you get a number you can hold someone to.