Termites in southeast Louisiana are not a maybe. Between the native subterranean species and the Formosan colonies that have spread across the Northshore, most homes here will have swarmers somewhere on the property at some point. The question is usually not whether termites are nearby, but whether they have found a way into your structure and how long they have been working on it.
Swarms are the most obvious sign, usually in spring, often at dusk, and often around porch lights and windows. If you find discarded wings on a windowsill or in a web, that swarm came from inside or very close to the house. Mud tubes running up a pier, a slab edge, or the inside of a crawlspace wall are a live infestation until proven otherwise. Subtler signs include a hollow sound when you tap baseboards or door frames, paint that looks blistered or rippled on trim, a window or door that suddenly sticks, and soft wood near a bathtub, under a sink, or at the bottom of a doorframe. Formosan termites in particular build nests inside wall voids and roof structures and can show up well above ground level, so a clean crawlspace does not clear the house.
Two approaches do most of the work, sometimes together. A liquid soil treatment puts a continuous treated zone in the ground around and under the structure. On a slab home that means trenching around the perimeter, then drilling through concrete where patios, driveways, walkways or garage floors butt against the foundation, injecting, and patching the holes. On a raised or pier-and-beam home it means trenching around piers and perimeter walls and treating from underneath. Bath traps and plumbing penetrations get attention because that is a common entry point. The other approach is a baiting system — stations installed in the soil around the house and monitored on a schedule, letting foraging workers carry material back to the colony. Baiting works slowly but reaches colonies that a soil barrier only blocks. Where there is active damage inside a wall or structural member, direct treatment of that void is part of the job rather than a substitute for the ground work.
Price varies with the linear footage of the foundation, whether the home is slab or raised, how much concrete has to be drilled, how accessible the crawlspace is, whether you are treating an active infestation or protecting a clean structure, and whether the plan is liquid, bait, or both. Ongoing monitoring and renewal terms differ between systems, so ask what happens in year two and beyond, not just what the first visit costs.
Ask what product is being used and what the expected service life of the treated zone is in this soil. Ask how drilled holes will be patched and what the concrete will look like afterward. Ask whether the inspection and any treatment are documented in writing, which matters later if you sell. Ask what the plan covers if termites turn up again. And ask about drainage and moisture issues found during the inspection — leaking gutters, soil piled against siding, mulch against the foundation, and wood-to-ground contact are what make a home attractive in the first place, and leaving them unaddressed shortens the life of any treatment.
Palus Property Defense is licensed and insured, with licensed contractors doing the work, and covers Mandeville along with Madisonville, Abita Springs and Baker. Estimates are free, there is a satisfaction guarantee, same-day service may be available, and several payment methods are accepted. Call Monday to Friday, 8AM to 6PM — enquiries are handled by phone.