Windermere, FL and nearby
Drywood termite treatment in Windermere, FL
Drywood termites live inside dry wood and never touch the soil. The sign is a small pile of hard pellets, six-sided in cross-section, pushed out through tiny holes. The West Indian drywood termite is the species UF/IFAS ties to nearly all structural fumigation in Florida.
Independent Florida-licensed providers. No obligation for the call.
What you are dealing with
West Indian drywood termite. UF/IFAS describes it as the leading drywood pest of wooden articles in Florida, with the largest populations in older buildings in the southern half of the state. It has also spread to cities across Florida, because whole colonies travel inside infested furniture and wood. Its flights run from April to June, though they can happen any time of year.
The pellets are the giveaway. They are hard, dry and six-sided in cross-section, and they collect below a kick-out hole in trim, a window sill, a door frame, furniture or the attic hatch. Pellets below trim
Spot treatment or the whole house
One piece of wood or one item of furniture can often be treated locally.
Colonies in several places, or in wood that cannot be reached, are why whole-structure fumigation exists — tenting the house. UF/IFAS notes nearly all structural fumigation in Florida is for this one species.
What tenting involves under Florida rules
- Before the gas goes in, the certified operator or a designated fumigation cardholder personally inspects the house to make sure no one is inside.
- Warning signs reading "Danger" and "Deadly Poison" go on every door and entrance, with the operator's name and day and night phone numbers.
- In a multi-unit building, the whole structure has to be vacated.
- Before anyone goes back in, the air is tested with gas-detecting devices, including in the breathing zone of each room, and a signed clearance notice with the date and hour goes up on the entrances.
Fumigation is its own certification category in Florida. Ask to see it.
Common questions
Can I just treat the board I can see? Sometimes. Whether local treatment is enough depends on how many places are involved, and that is what the inspection establishes.
How long are we out of the house? The provider sets that, and the clearance test decides when re-entry is allowed.
Does a termite contract cover drywood? Only if it says so. Florida contracts must state whether they cover subterranean, drywood or both.
Who to call
Say where the pellets are, how many piles, and whether there is old or second-hand wooden furniture in the house.
Seeing it right now? Call and describe it — the line can tell you whether a visit is available near your ZIP code today.
(866) 204-1244Check the license before work starts
Florida pest control businesses are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and each business location must have a certified operator in charge. Any company or individual can be looked up in the department’s public database before a visit is booked.
For this job, the license category to look for is Termite and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms Control, plus Fumigation if the house is tented.