Charlotte Termite Control & Inspections

Our initial termite inspections are free! Our complimentary inspections are thorough, and include humidity analysis and moisture readings. Please don’t hesitate to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection and quote.

According to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, subterranean termites are the most common in our state, and they pose a major problem in North Carolina because they thrive in our climate. Subterranean termites prefer humidity and warmth, and parts of North Carolina are very warm and humid in the spring and summer months.

Subterranean termites are a significant problem for North Carolina residents because they work without sleeping and reproduce at an incredibly rapid rate, resulting in exponential colony growth. The most termites ever recorded in a single nest was over three million.

NC State University performed an extensive study to determine termite colony sizes and they found, using DNA tracing, that each acre of land in our region can produce between 20 and 25 colonies. That is a lot of termites!

As with almost all types of pests in our area, there are many steps homeowners can take to reduce pest populations. Preventative steps include:

• Reducing or eliminating moisture: Termites must have water, sources of which can include leaking water pipes and faucets. Check your gutters and downspouts to make sure they direct water away from your house and don’t aim sprinklers right at your outside walls.
• Inspecting your foundation regularly: Keep an eye out for uneven paint on surfaces and mud tubes (which subterranean termites use to move to wood from the soil), and check to see if any wood sounds hollowed out. Learn more on our blog post, “Three Signs You Have a Termite Problem.”
• Checking exterior wood: Inspect all the wood on your home, such as door frames, window frames, and any boards around the foundation of your exterior walls.
• Measuring the gap: You should keep an 18-inch gap between any wood on your home and the soil beneath it.
• Moving firewood: It may not be as convenient as having it right outside your back door, but stacks of firewood are perfect homes for termites. Keep it at least 20 feet from your house.
• Containing mulch: Mulch may look best piled right up to your foundation, but it makes a nice, moist spot for termites. Pull mulch back at least four inches from your house.
• Turning out the lights: Outdoor lights attract termite swarmers in the spring.
• Keeping the landscape neat: The foliage on shrubs, plants, and bushes should be a minimum of 12 inches away from your house’s exterior. You’ll be able to spot signs of termites easier and you’ll be providing better air flow, which helps damp soil dry out. Also clear away any piles of dead branches and stumps to make sure you deprive termites of the cellulose they need.
• Choosing the right kind of wood: Pressure-treated lumber should be used for features such as fence posts or any wood elements that are in contact with the soil.

It’s best to carefully evaluate the signs of infestation to determine whether you have termites or another type of insect infesting your Charlotte home. Signs of a termite infestation differ from those of other pests.

One of the main differentiating factors is the presence of mud tubes. Termites are the only pests that create them, so if you see them, you know you’ve got a termite infestation.

Mud tubes are composed of soil, wood particles, and various other materials. Termites use their saliva as a binding agent. They have a vein-like appearance and usually have the same width as a pencil. They can be found on walls, the home’s foundation, joists, basements, crawl spaces, and ceilings.

Termites make several types of mud tubes, including large working tubes, thinner exploratory tubes, swarm tubes that take termites to new nests, and drop tubes that hang from the ceiling.

Wood that is damaged, weak, brittle, or hollow can also be a sign of a termite infestation. You can test for this by gently probing the wood with a screwdriver.

While termites can be easily differentiated from most other pests, they have a similar appearance to ants, so it’s important to remember the differences. Ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched area between the abdomen and the thorax, a thinner neck, and longer legs. Termites have straight antennae, a more uniform body, a thicker neck, and shorter legs.

There are some DIY termite treatments on the market, but you may soon forget about the few dollars you saved when you find that killing a few individual termites doesn’t affect the thousands that may be present in a hidden infestation. It’s also not a good idea to handle the chemicals that are powerful enough to get rid of termites.

Taking into consideration how much your home is worth (and that homeowner’s insurance does not cover termite damage), it’s critical to ensure that termites are brought under control as quickly as possible, and that takes an experienced termite control professional.

The termite technicians at Noosa Pest Management will know:

• What species of termite you have
• Where they are likely to hide
• How to reach the areas where they hide
• Which customized termite control plan will work best for your unique situation

We’ll also provide a free estimate and free initial inspection, then develop a strategy for the careful and thorough application of the right products in the right places. 

Don’t leave your home’s integrity to hit-or-miss solutions—contact us online to request your inspection or give us a call at 704-499-9922.

You will still need termite control service at some point, even if your new home was pretreated for termites. Different types of termite pretreatments last different periods of time.

Homes treated with liquid treatments are typically protected from termites for five to ten years. When bait stations are utilized, they protect the home for one year; during this time, inspections are necessary every three to six months.

It’s vital to contact pest control experts for annual inspections to ensure that the pretreatment remains effective. These inspections help keep your home free of termites.

Even if you aren’t dealing with a termite infestation, you still need termite control from the experts. Termites are very good at hiding, so it’s essential to make sure your home or business is completely free of termites. To ensure that no termites are present, pest control professionals can conduct a thorough inspection of your home or business.

After their inspection, termite control experts will put deterrents in place to keep termites away. Effective prevention of termite infestations helps you avoid expensive property damage and stress.

We include a humidity analysis and a moisture reading during termite inspections because these two factors can help our experts determine the likelihood of a termite infestation.

Termites seek out high-moisture areas for several reasons. Moisture makes it easier for termites to digest cellulose, forage, build mud tubes, stay hydrated, and reproduce. The best termite nesting conditions are high in moisture. Moisture also helps fungus grow, and fungus is a source of sustenance for many termites.

When a home or business has higher moisture levels, it’s 70% more likely to experience a termite infestation. Termite control experts use moisture meters to evaluate moisture levels in a building. Professionals use these tools on numerous surfaces; they are quite accurate.

Areas with moisture levels of 20% or higher are the most significant risk indicators for termite activity. Kitchens, bathrooms, and crawl spaces may have hidden moisture issues. Leaks in downspouts and gutters can also result in increased moisture. Wooden beams and joists that have a higher moisture content can indicate the presence of termites, as can water damage.

Humidity analysis is vital because termites prefer high-humidity areas, since these lead to condensation. Parts of North Carolina are particularly humid, and humidity levels rise significantly during the summertime. Areas of the home that can become particularly humid include the basement, crawl spaces, and near plumbing fixtures.

When Noosa’s experts develop an understanding of your home’s moisture and humidity, they can make recommendations accordingly and implement the most effective termite protection strategy.

Certain types of termites (known as swarmers or alates) have the ability to swarm and they’ll undergo this activity if their current colony is getting too crowded, usually at a certain time of year that can differ by species. Often, the second nest will be created in a new house although, in some cases, the termite swarmers will settle in a different place of the same one. If you see these flying termites outside of your home, they may be settling there for their new colony. After they’ve chosen their new nest, they often shed their wings, no longer needing them. If you see signs of shed wings in your home, this indicates a new colony there.

Swarmers are looking to accomplish two goals: to find just the right habitat for their new colony and to mate with swarmers of the opposite gender. They’re looking for moist soil and the presence of wood because that makes an ideal environment for their reproductive activities and ongoing colony growth. The colony that they left behind, whether in the same house or another location, will continue to thrive, as well, unless appropriate termite treatments are applied. In other words, this isn’t a relocation of an established colony. It’s the creation of a new one when the mature one has gotten too large.

At Noosa Pest Management, we make it quick and easy to get a free termite inspection and termite treatment recommendation. Just contact us online or call us at 704-499-9922 and we’ll set up a time that works with your schedule. After providing you with a customized recommendation for your specific problem, we will apply treatments while treating you just like we’d like to be treated, with our courteous technician team providing the highest level of service. Here are some fun facts about our pest control team and testimonials from our customers.

We serve these North Carolina and South Carolina cities and more:

• Charlotte, NC
• Fort Mill, NC
• Huntersville, NC
• Cornelius - Lake Norman, NC
• Mooresville, NC
• Matthews, NC
• Davidson, NC
• Tega Cay, SC
• Indian Land, SC
• York, SC

If your area isn’t shown, please give us a call at 704-499-9922 or contact us to find out if Noosa Pest Management offers termite inspections and termite treatments in your area.