Orange County, California
Subterranean termites
The termite that lives in the ground, not in your walls. That one difference changes what you are dealing with and what it takes to deal with it.
Subterranean termites live in a colony in the soil and reach a structure from below, building mud tubes to bridge the gap. Because the colony is in the ground and not in the wood, tenting does not control them. Orange County Fumigation treats them at the soil instead, with perimeter treatment and baiting. Call or text 657-608-2488.
Why tenting is not the answer
Not sure which termite you have?
Describe what you are seeing and where you are seeing it. That is usually enough for us to tell you what to look at next.
Or call and text 657-608-2488. No address required to get a quote.
2nd generation, 30+ years in Orange County
SPCB-registered for fumigation and for inspection
Identification before any recommendation
Told plainly what you have and what it needs
Home / Fumigation Services / Subterranean Termites
Quick answers
The three things people ask first
01
Is this a tenting job?
No. Tenting is the right call for a termite that lives inside the wood, and a subterranean colony does not. It lives in the soil, so a tent over the house leaves the colony untouched. These are treated at the ground instead, with termite perimeter treatment and baiting.
02
What should I do first?
Find out which termite you actually have before you buy any treatment. A termite inspection settles that, and it settles where they are getting in. Treatment estimates are free. The diagnostic inspection is a separate paid service. See termite inspection.
03
Do they live in the wood?
They feed in it, but they do not live in it. The nest stays in the soil and workers travel up into the structure and back down again. That commute is why you see mud tubes, and it is why the ground is where treatment has to start.
The organism
What a subterranean termite actually is
Almost everything that makes this pest different comes down to one thing: it needs contact with soil.
A subterranean termite colony lives in the ground. Not in your walls, not in your attic, and not in the beam it is eating. The nest sits in soil, sometimes under the house and sometimes well away from it, and the termites you would find in the structure are workers that travelled up from it.
The fact the whole page follows from: the colony is in the soil and the food is in your house. Everything these termites do is about getting from one to the other and back again.
They need moisture, and soil is where they get it. A subterranean termite dries out fast in open air, so it will not cross an exposed gap if it can avoid it. That is the reason for the mud tubes. When soil does not touch wood directly, the colony builds a shelter tube out of soil and saliva to bridge the distance, and travels inside it. A pencil-width mud tube running up a foundation wall is not damage. It is a covered walkway.
Because the colony is underground and the workers commute, the part of the problem you can see is only ever a fraction of it. The tube on the foundation and the soft wood behind the baseboard are the visible end of something that is mostly out of sight, which is the opposite of how homeowners usually assume termites work.
They also do not need a door. Soil contact anywhere against the structure will do: a slab edge, a crack, a utility penetration, a planter built up against stucco, a fence post that meets the house. Anything that gives them a moist, protected route from ground to wood is a route they will use.
The part most companies skip
Why fumigation is not the treatment for this termite
Whole-structure fumigation treats the structure. The building is sealed under a tent so the treatment reaches wood throughout it, including the parts nobody can get to by hand. That is exactly what you want when the termites are living inside that wood.
A subterranean colony is not living inside that wood. It is living in the soil, and it is sending workers up. Tent the house and you treat the part of the problem that is inside the tent. The colony is outside it, underground, and it is still there when the tarps come off. Whatever comes back is not a treatment failure. It is the treatment never having reached the colony in the first place.
None of that is a knock on tenting. It is the complete answer for the termite it was designed for, and it is most of what we do. It is simply the wrong tool for this particular termite, and it is much cheaper to hear that now than to find it out after you have paid for it.
What does work is treatment aimed at the ground the colony is living in and at the routes it uses to reach the structure. In practice that means treating the soil around the perimeter of the building, a termite bait program, or both, depending on what the inspection finds. It is a different scope of work under a different registration from our fumigation, and it is what we would recommend for a confirmed subterranean problem. The side-by-side of fumigation, heat and non-tenting treatment lives in our fumigation alternatives, and our non-tenting termite work generally is on local termite treatment.
What to look for
The signs you actually see
Subterranean termite signs cluster low, because the termites are working from the ground up. If you are only checking the attic, you are checking the wrong end of the house.
01
Mud tubes
Pencil-width tubes of dried mud running up a vertical surface, usually straight up. They can look like a dried mud smear or a raised vein. Break one open and you may find nothing inside, which does not mean it is abandoned; termites often rebuild within days.
Where to look
Exterior foundation stem walls, the edge where a slab meets stucco, garage wall bottoms, crawl space piers and the underside of a raised floor, and the inside of the foundation vents.
02
Damaged wood with soil in it
When you open up wood these termites have been in, the galleries are dirty. They carry soil with them, so the damage is packed with mud and looks wet or stained rather than clean and papery. That soil in the wood is one of the clearest field tells there is.
Where to look
Sill plates and the bottom of wall studs, floor joists and subfloor, the base of door frames and posts where they meet concrete, and any framing that a plumber or a remodeler has already opened.
03
Swarmers near ground level
Dark winged insects appearing in numbers, typically in warm weather and often within a day or two of rain. They are poor fliers, they do not last long, and the wings come off in a pile of matched pairs. Finding swarmers indoors means the source is close, not passing through.
Where to look
Ground-level window sills and tracks, patio and slider thresholds, garage floors, bathroom floors near plumbing, and light fixtures in low rooms. Also check spider webs in those spots for collected wings.
04
Wood that has gone soft or hollow low down
Tap a baseboard or a door jamb near the floor with a screwdriver handle. Sound wood knocks. Wood that has been fed on sounds papery, dents under light pressure, or gives entirely. Paint over it can still look perfectly intact, which is why this is a touch test rather than a look test.
Where to look
Baseboards and door casings within a foot of the slab, the bottom of garage walls, laundry and water heater areas, and anywhere a floor has developed a soft spot.
05
The conditions that invite them in
Not a sign of termites exactly, but a sign of where to look for them. These termites need moisture and a soil route, so anywhere the two meet your structure is worth a closer look than the rest of the property.
Where to look
Leaking hose bibs and sprinklers wetting the foundation, planters and raised beds built up against a wall, soil graded above the slab line, wood fencing or a trellis attached to the house and buried at the base, and firewood stacked against an exterior wall.
06
Something already noted on a report
If an inspector, a lender, or a buyer’s report has flagged subterranean activity or “evidence of subterranean termites”, that is a specific finding with a specific consequence, and it is not the same finding as drywood activity. It changes what the correct treatment is.
Where to look
Start with the report itself and what it names, then see termite inspection. If a property sale is driving the timeline, WDO and Section 1 covers what a transaction needs. See termite inspection or WDO and Section 1.
Have it confirmed properly
Not sure what you are looking at? Call or text 657-608-2488 and describe it.
Consequence
What it does to a structure
Because they work from the ground up, subterranean termites reach the parts of a house that hold it up before they reach the parts you look at.
The first wood a subterranean colony reaches is whatever is closest to the soil, and in most houses that is structural. Sill plates, the bottom of studs, floor joists, subfloor, posts and columns where they land on concrete. Those members carry load, and they are also the ones nobody inspects, because they sit behind drywall, under flooring, or in a crawl space with a hatch that has not been opened in years.
The colony does not pause. As long as it has moisture and a route in, it keeps working, which is why a subterranean problem that gets left alone tends to be bigger the next time somebody looks. What it does not do is happen overnight. Meaningful structural damage builds over seasons and years, not weeks, so the right response to finding a mud tube is to get it confirmed, not to panic.
The things a homeowner usually notices first are the late signs, not the early ones. By the time a door stops closing or a floor develops a soft spot, the wood behind it has already been worked on for a while.
Where the damage tends to land
- Sill plates and mudsills, the timber sitting directly on the foundation
- The bottom of wall studs and the framing behind lower drywall
- Floor joists, subfloor, and the underside of a raised floor
- Posts, columns and porch supports where wood meets concrete
- Door frames, jambs and casings at ground level
- Attached structures: patio covers, decks, fences and trellises that touch soil
What the extent actually is on your property is an inspection finding, not a guess from a list. We do not quote a repair or a treatment on a structure we have not looked at.
One quick distinction
How this differs from drywood termites
Drywood termites can establish high in a structure, in eaves, attics, framing and furniture, because they do not depend on the ground at all. Subterranean termites work upward from a colony in the soil, which is why their signs cluster low, why they leave mud behind, and why their treatment starts at the ground rather than at the building. Which one you have decides the treatment, so it is the first thing worth settling.
See the full side-by-side comparison on our drywood and subterranean termite guide, including how to tell the two apart from what you are actually looking at.
01
Drywood termites
The termite that lives inside the wood and does not need soil contact. The common one in Orange County housing stock, and the one tenting was built for.
Drywood termites →
02
Powderpost beetles
Not a termite at all, and often mistaken for one. Different insect, different signs, and a different conversation about what treats it.
Have the pest identified →
Next steps
What to do about it
Two steps, in this order. The identification comes first, because the treatment follows from it and not the other way around.
01
Get the identification confirmed
Mud tubes are a strong indicator, but what matters for treatment is confirming the activity is subterranean, whether it is currently active, and where the route into the structure is. That is what an inspection settles. We do not quote treatment on a structure we have not looked at.
Treatment estimates are free. A diagnostic termite inspection is a separate paid service, priced per property, and the details of that are on the inspection page.
Termite inspection →
01
Treat at the source, not by tenting the structure
Subterranean termites are treated at the source rather than by tenting the structure. The work targets the soil the colony lives in and the routes it uses to reach the building, which is why it starts at the ground rather than at the wood.
Two methods, used on their own or together depending on what the inspection finds:
Termite perimeter treatment
Treating the soil around the outside of the structure, so the ground the colony has to cross to reach your wood is no longer a route it can use.
Termite baiting
Placing bait that the colony feeds on, so the treatment travels back into the nest with the termites rather than stopping at the edge of the structure. This is the part that reaches what a tent never could.
Which of the two your property needs, and whether it needs both, depends on how it is built, what the soil is doing, and where the activity actually is. That is settled at the inspection rather than decided in advance. Scope, access and schedule are confirmed in writing before anything starts.
What this work does not involve is a tent over your house, an evacuation, or a clearance posting before you can go back inside.
Our non-tenting termite work →
Compare fumigation, heat and non-tenting treatment →
About the warranty, plainly:
our flat 2-year retreatment warranty covers fumigation work only. It does not cover inspection, and it does not extend to any non-fumigation treatment whatever it is called. Perimeter treatment and termite baiting are not fumigation, so that 2-year warranty does not apply to this work either. We would rather tell you that here than have you find it in the paperwork. Whatever terms do apply to your job are written into your estimate before you agree to anything, and the coverage that does exist is set out in our warranty information.
We work throughout Orange County, California. See service areas for where we go.
Summary
Subterranean termites at a glance
What it is
A colony-forming termite that nests in soil and feeds on wood in structures above it
Where the colony lives
In the ground, not in the wood it is eating. Sometimes under the structure, sometimes away from it
What it needs
Moisture and contact with soil, plus a protected route from the ground to wood
Signs to look for
Pencil-width mud tubes, damaged wood packed with soil, winged swarmers and shed wings near ground level, wood that sounds papery low on a wall
Where it shows up
Foundation stem walls, slab edges, crawl spaces and piers, garage wall bottoms, sill plates, floor joists, door frames at ground level
What treats it
Termite perimeter treatment of the soil around the structure, a termite bait program, or both. Which one is decided at the inspection, not in advance
What does not treat it
Whole-structure fumigation. Tenting treats the structure, and the colony is in the soil outside it, so it survives and reinfests
First step
A termite inspection to confirm the identification and the entry route. Treatment estimates are free; the diagnostic inspection is a separate paid service. See termite inspection
Warranty position
Not covered. The flat 2-year retreatment warranty applies to fumigation work only. Perimeter treatment and baiting are not fumigation, so the warranty does not apply to subterranean work
Registration
PR9321 covers inspection and treatment (Branch 3), which is the registration relevant to this work. PR8476 covers fumigation (Branch 1)
Service area
Orange County, California. See service areas
Phone
657-608-2488, call or text
Proof
Subterranean work in Orange County
Real jobs and real customers. These slots stay empty until we have dated work and permission to show it.
Whole-structure termite fumigation
[PROJECT DETAIL SLOT] Widespread drywood activity, tented and cleared. Alt text: “Tarped single-family home in [approved city] during whole-structure termite fumigation, [month year]”.
Inspection that did not end in a tent
[PROJECT DETAIL SLOT] Contained activity confirmed on inspection and treated locally. Alt text: “Inspector examining exterior trim on a home in [approved city], [month year]”.
Escrow report and clearance
[PROJECT DETAIL SLOT] Section 1 findings cleared in time to close. Alt text: “Home in [approved city] after posted clearance, [month year]”.
“They handled our escrow fumigation on a tight timeline and got the clearance we needed to close. Clear communication the whole way.”
[Client Name]
Homeowner, Irvine
“Second generation and it shows. They explained the whole tenting process and prep so there were no surprises.”
[Client Name]
Homeowner, Huntington Beach
“We use them across several properties. Scheduling and tenant coordination are the smoothest we have found.”
[Client Name]
Property manager, Garden Grove
Questions
Subterranean termite questions
Identification and consequence. Where an answer belongs to another page, it points there rather than repeating it.
How do I know it is subterranean and not drywood?
The quickest tells are mud and height. Subterranean termites carry soil with them, so their damage is dirty and packed with mud and their tubes are visible on foundations and piers, and it all sits low on the structure. Drywood activity tends to be higher up and leaves dry pellets rather than mud. Neither tell is definitive from across a room, which is why the identification is an inspection finding rather than a photo diagnosis. The full comparison is in our drywood and subterranean termite guide, and termite inspection covers how it gets confirmed.
Why can a fumigation not reach the colony?
Because a fumigation is a sealed treatment of a building, and the colony is not in the building. It is underground, outside the sealed space, and it stays untouched while the structure is treated. That is a limit of what the method physically covers, not a question of how thoroughly it is done, and it is why more of it would not help. For what fumigation does cover and how it compares to the alternatives, see fumigation alternatives.
What exactly is a mud tube, and does finding one mean I have an active problem?
It is a covered walkway. These termites dry out in open air, so when they need to cross an exposed surface they build a tube out of soil and saliva and travel inside it, protected. Finding one means they built a route there at some point. Whether that route is still in use is a separate question and it is not one you can answer by looking at the outside of the tube, so it is worth having confirmed rather than assumed. Termite inspection covers what confirming it involves.
Can they get in if my house is on a concrete slab?
Yes. A slab is a barrier, not a seal. Slabs crack, they have joints, and they have penetrations where plumbing and conduit come through, and any of those can be a route up from the soil underneath. Slab homes also hide the evidence better than raised foundations do, because there is no crawl space to look into, so the first visible sign is often inside at the base of a wall rather than outside on the foundation.
How did they find my property in the first place?
They were most likely already in the soil in the area rather than arriving from somewhere. Colonies forage underground looking for wood, and a structure is simply the largest piece of wood nearby. What decides whether they get from the soil into the building is usually a condition on the property: moisture against the foundation, soil graded up above the slab line, a planter or a fence post against a wall, wood stored against the house. Finding it is nothing you did wrong, and it is not a reflection on how clean the house is.
Does your 2-year warranty cover this work?
No, and we would rather say that here than let you find it in the paperwork. The flat 2-year retreatment warranty covers fumigation work only, termite and bed bug alike. It does not cover inspection, and it does not extend to any non-fumigation treatment whatever it is called. Perimeter treatment and termite baiting are not fumigation, so the 2-year warranty does not extend to them either. Whatever terms apply to your specific job are written into your estimate before you agree to anything. The coverage that does exist is set out in our warranty information.
If I fix the moisture and the soil contact, does the problem go away?
It removes conditions that make a property easy to get into, which is worth doing on its own merits. What it does not do is deal with a colony that is already established and already has a route in, and it is not a substitute for treatment. Correcting conditions and treating the problem are two different jobs, and which of them your property needs is what an inspection sorts out. Start at termite inspection.
Think you have subterranean termites?
Tell us what you are seeing and where on the property you are seeing it. We will confirm what you have and recommend the treatment that actually fits it, even when that is not the one we are best known for.