Treatment for the native subterranean termite, which swarms in early spring afternoons and works through damp crawl-space framing.
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Native subterranean termites live in soil and reach a house through the ground, building mud tubes to cross open surfaces. The treatment starts by finding the colony's route into the framing, then addresses that route and the damp that supports it.
The native subterranean termite is the species most people in this area assume they are dealing with, and it is often right. It swarms in early spring, usually in the afternoon, and it lives in the soil around the house rather than in the wood itself. Its colonies work through the ground to reach the sub-floor framing, the piers and any wood that touches soil. A native colony can be well established before anyone notices a swarm, so the signs are usually below the house.
The difference from the Formosan species matters for the work. Formosan swarms come later in the year and at dusk, and Formosan colonies are often larger and forage farther. Native work is more often a question of finding the right location, understanding the soil and water conditions that keep it active, and treating the framing where the colony is feeding. A technician who has seen both species will tell you which one the signs point to and why.
The conditions under older houses make this a real problem here. Many houses in North Charleston sit over vented crawl spaces, where humid air condenses on cooled ducts and joists. That damp is what native colonies need. Call (855) 974-4733 if you have seen a swarm, mud tubes or soft wood. Phones are answered 24/7, and a same-day visit is possible when a technician is free.
Do not attempt to dig out a colony, cut into a mud tube or open a wall to find the source. Disturbing the tubes can push the colony to a new route and hide the signs the technician needs to read. Do not crawl under a damp house with bad piers, rotten sill plates or exposed wiring without a plan for getting out, and never stand on a sagging floor to reach a joist. Store-bought soil treatments are not a substitute for an inspection, because the treatment has to reach the colony's actual route. If a floor feels unsafe, keep weight off that area and call (855) 974-4733.
A technician asks when the swarmers were seen, where they gathered and what time of day it was. Native swarms come in early spring, usually in the afternoon, and that timing points toward the native species. If the swarm was at dusk, the Formosan species is a possibility to rule out.
Mud tubes are traced from the soil up to the framing, since each one shows a route the colony is using. The technician notes where each tube starts, which pier or wall it climbs, and whether it is active or old. Old tubes can be dried and abandoned, so the active ones matter most.
Joists, sill plates, the bottoms of exterior walls and any wood near the soil are checked by sound and by sight. A probe is used only where it will not cause new damage, and the results are recorded. This is where damage that has been hidden under finished floors shows itself.
The treatment is chosen to fit the route, the location and the framing. Damp that supports the colony is addressed as well, because a treated area that stays wet is an open invitation for the next colony. The technician explains what is being done and why before any work starts.
Follow-up visits check whether the activity has stopped, whether new tubes have appeared and whether the moisture has changed. The timing is agreed with you when the plan is written. A follow-up is the stage that tells you whether the treatment worked, rather than assuming it did.
Timing and time of day are the first clues. Native swarms come in early spring, usually in the afternoon. Formosan swarms come later, in the evening, and are drawn to lights.
A swarm tells you a great deal if you can describe it accurately. Note the month, the time of day and where the swarmers were. Early spring afternoons point to the native species. A swarm that comes from May into July, often after dark and drawn to a porch light, points to the Formosan species, which Clemson counts as established in this coastal area.
Subterranean termites need moisture as well as wood. Damp framing in a vented crawl space gives a colony a steady supply, and the wood softens over time.
Subterranean termites lose moisture quickly when they are away from the soil, so they build mud tubes to keep their route damp while they travel. A damp crawl space makes that travel easier and the framing more attractive. The wood itself also softens when it is kept wet, which makes it easier to tunnel into and easier to damage.
In a warm, humid coastal climate, cooled ducts and joists can sit below the dew point of incoming air. That moisture condenses on the framing and stays there. Clearing the damp is therefore part of the treatment, not a separate issue. A technician looks at the vents, the ground cover, the ducts and any standing water as part of the same inspection, and explains which of those points are contributing.
The size of the affected area, how hard the sub-floor is to reach, the amount of damage, and the moisture problems that need attention all matter. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
A small colony near one corner of the foundation is a different job from activity spread across the whole perimeter and through the joists. The number of structures on the lot, such as a detached garage or a porch enclosure, adds to the scope when they are involved. Access also matters. A crawl space with clear openings and sound framing is quicker to work in than one blocked by stored items or tight duct runs.
Subterranean colonies do not leave on their own when they have a steady supply of damp wood. Waiting usually lets the damage continue while the signs grow more visible.
Termite activity often looks quiet from the living area of the house, because the damage is inside the framing and the tubes are outside it. A colony that is feeding steadily keeps going through the wet season and the warm months, since there is no winter freeze here to stop it. Waiting therefore tends to mean more damage in the sub-floor and a larger job later.
A treatment is confirmed by follow-up visits, not by the day the work finishes. Activity should stop, new tubes should not appear, and the moisture should be under control.
The first sign of success is no new mud tubes and no fresh frass after the treatment. Swarming is watched for in the following season as well. The follow-up checks the framing that was treated and the areas where activity had been, and it looks at whether any damage has spread since the first inspection.
Moisture is the other half of the answer. If the crawl space is still wet, the framing is still attractive to the next colony, so the plan includes the damp work along with the termite work. The crawl space page describes what that part of the job involves in houses like yours.
This is the most common pattern for native subterranean termites. The colony is in the ground next to the foundation and sends tubes up the piers or block walls to reach the framing. The treatment works on the soil at the foundation line and on the tubes themselves, and the moisture along the perimeter is checked at the same time.
Here the activity has been going on long enough to damage the sill plates, joists or the bottoms of posts. The work includes repairs that a technician or a qualified builder would need to make, and the inspection records what is damaged. The damage is reported as found, so you know its extent before any repair is discussed.
Some native activity runs along a porch step, a brick veneer or the edge of a slab addition where soil and wood come together. These places are easy to overlook because they look like trim rather than structure. The technician checks them as part of the perimeter, and the slab home page covers how that differs from a crawl space.
Native subterranean termites are a steady part of the year-round pest picture in North Charleston and across the Lowcountry, not only a spring problem. The swarm you see in early spring is the visible end of a colony that has been working in the soil for a long time. Homes with vented crawl spaces are the most exposed, because the damp under the house is what the colony needs to keep working.
The city's housing stock is mixed. Mid-century brick and frame houses over crawl spaces are common in older North Charleston, Hanahan and Ladson, while the post-1995 slab-on-grade homes in newer developments have a different entry route. Older raised frame buildings closer to the downtown have exposed sub-floor framing and deep porches, which changes the inspection. The technician works out which kind of building you have before deciding on the approach.
Tidal flooding and heavy summer rain can leave the ground under older houses wet for longer, and that changes the conditions the colony lives in. The city's own climate description calls the area temperate to subtropical, with substantial annual rainfall, and summer is the wettest season. If you notice more damp under the house after a storm, mention it when you call. It is one of the most useful clues for an inspection.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent native subterranean termite treatment, send the form and we'll call you back.
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Inspection and treatment for Formosan and native subterranean termites in North Charleston homes, from vented crawl spaces to slab edges.
Formosan subterranean termites are established along the Charleston coast, and the crawl spaces here give them a steady supply of damp wood.
Why damp vented crawl spaces in North Charleston feed wood decay and termites, and how the sub-floor inspection is scoped.
Drywood termites live inside the wood itself, so inspection looks at the timber rather than the soil around the foundation.
Formosan subterranean termites were introduced into Charleston in the mid-1950s and are now established along the coast.
Native subterranean termites swarm in early spring, usually in the afternoon.
Native subterranean termites swarm in early spring, usually in the afternoon. That timing is one of the clearest differences from the Formosan species, which swarms later in the year and in the evening. If you see swarmers, note the month and the time of day, because that helps the technician work out which species is present.
Not necessarily. Old wood can hold damage from a past colony that is no longer active, and the signs can look similar to current activity. The inspection checks for fresh mud tubes, fresh frass and soft wood that is still damp. Those signs show whether the activity is ongoing.
Heavy rain and high humidity raise the moisture in the ground and in the air under the house. Vented crawl spaces take on that moisture, and cooled ducts and joists can condense it. Damp framing is what subterranean termites need, so the smell can be an early sign of conditions a colony would like.
Treatments are chosen with the landscaping in mind, and the technician will tell you which areas are being treated and why. Soil and mulch near the foundation are often part of the route, so some changes may be recommended. Ask about any plants or beds you are worried about before the work starts.
Moving wood piles, stored lumber and thick mulch away from the foundation removes a route the colony can use, and it is worth doing. It does not remove a colony that is already in the framing. The inspection will show whether the colony has reached the structure, and the plan will cover the rest.
They can, if the damp that supports them is not addressed or if a colony is established nearby. Follow-up visits are part of the plan so that any new activity is found early. The technician will explain what to watch for between visits.