Eastern Subterranean Termite Control

Eastern Subterranean Termites In Central Texas

The eastern subterranean termite is the termite behind most of the structural damage in Central Texas, and it always reaches a home from the soil.

Because they reach a home from the soil, treatment has to break that soil-to-wood path, which the Texas A&M AgriLife guide to subterranean termites explains.

Signs You Have Eastern Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites hide their work, but a few signs give them away:

• Mud tubes the width of a pencil running up the foundation, piers, or walls.
• Discarded wings in windowsills after a spring swarm.
• Hollow-sounding or blistered wood that gives way when tapped.
• Tight-fitting doors and windows as moisture and damage warp the frames.
• Cream-colored workers in damaged wood or broken mud tubes.

Are Eastern Subterranean Termites Dangerous?

Eastern subterranean termites are not a health threat, but they are the most financially damaging pest a home can have. They feed on the cellulose in wood around the clock, working silently inside walls, floors, and support beams long before the damage is visible.

Left alone, they weaken framing, subfloors, and load-bearing wood. Termite damage is also usually excluded from homeowners insurance as a preventable maintenance issue, which is why ongoing protection matters more than a one-time fix.

How We Get Rid of Eastern Subterranean Termites

Stride treats eastern subterranean termites through the five-step Stride Forward process, aimed at the path from soil to wood:

1. Inspect. We check the foundation, crawl space, and wood for mud tubes, damage, and the moisture that draws termites in.
2. Identify. We confirm subterranean termites rather than drywood termites, which need a different treatment.
3. Recommend. We flag the wood-to-soil contact, leaks, and drainage problems feeding the colony.
4. Treat. We establish a liquid termiticide barrier in the soil and set in-ground bait stations. The barrier is non-repellent, so termites pass through it and carry it back to the colony.
5. Evaluate. We monitor the stations and the structure on recurring visits, since termite pressure here is constant.

Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.

How to Keep Eastern Subterranean Termites Away

Keeping subterranean termites out comes down to cutting off moisture and wood-to-soil contact:

• Keep wood off the soil, holding a gap between the ground and any wood siding.
• Fix moisture from leaks, poor drainage, and downspouts against the foundation.
• Keep mulch and firewood back from the foundation and off the ground.
• Seal cracks in the foundation and around utility penetrations.
• Keep an annual inspection going, since the earliest signs are easy to miss.

Eastern Subterranean Termite Control Frequently Asked Questions

Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.

The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.

Our Certifications & Awards

Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.

Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.

Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.