Termite Control in San Antonio, TX
Termite control in San Antonio starts with an inspection, not a sprayer. The technician has to find where termites are entering, learn which kind they are and note the conditions helping them, and only then can the right treatment be chosen and explained to you. Texas also requires written disclosure documents before any termite treatment begins, so you see the plan on paper first.
To set up a termite inspection, call or text (210) 281-1064 or schedule it online.
What happens during a termite inspection? #
TDA points out that termites work from the inside of the wood outward and are often hard to spot, so a professional inspection is the only reliable way to know. A thorough one covers the places termites actually use:
- The full foundation line, slab edges, cracks and corners, looking for mud tubes
- Spots where wood, siding or a planter bed meets the soil
- Plumbing and utility penetrations, including the bath trap area in many slab homes
- Baseboards, door frames and window trim, tapping for wood that sounds dull
- Paint or wallboard with unusual blistering, which AgriLife lists as an inspector's clue
- Attic framing, eaves and wood trim for drywood pellets
The inspection is limited to areas that can be reached and seen. Inspectors do not break into walls or haul out stored belongings, which is why TDA reminds homeowners that a clean report is not proof of a termite-free house.
The technician also notes conducive conditions such as leaks, high soil, wood mulch or firewood against the foundation. Those go into the paperwork, because fixing them is part of making any treatment last. If you are not sure what you saw, our page on signs of termites can help you describe it.
Which treatment options might the technician explain? #
AgriLife's subterranean termite guide (E-368) groups professional approaches into a few families. Pest Trappers explains which of them suit your house after the inspection:
- Liquid soil treatment. A termiticide goes into the soil along and under the foundation and around piers and pipes. On slab homes this often means drilling through concrete at intervals. The treated zone has to be continuous, since termites can find and use gaps.
- Foam. Used to reach voids under slabs, porches and in walls that liquid cannot reach well.
- Bait systems. Stations hold cellulose with a slow-acting insecticide. There is little or no drilling, but colony suppression takes months to over a year, the stations need regular monitoring, and protection ends when the baits come out.
- Wood-applied treatments. AgriLife says these work better combined with other methods than alone.
For drywood termites, which live in the wood itself, spot treatments can miss colonies hidden elsewhere in the structure. AgriLife considers whole-house tent fumigation the most effective fix for widespread drywood infestations. That is a job for a fumigation company with its own separate license; Pest Trappers is licensed for termite control but not fumigation.
Liquid treatment or bait system: how does the choice get made? #
There is no single answer for every San Antonio home. The decision usually turns on a handful of questions:
- Construction. Slab, pier-and-beam and additions over old slabs all treat differently. Heavy drilling may be needed on some slabs.
- What was found. Active tubes in one corner, swarmers indoors or damage in several rooms each point in a different direction.
- Termite type. Native and Formosan subterranean termites both come from the soil; drywood termites do not.
- Timeline. Liquid treatments act on termites moving through treated soil, while baits work slowly through the colony.
- Long-term plans. Registered termiticides lasted four to ten years in Texas A&M testing, while bait protection stops when monitoring stops.
The technician walks you through these trade-offs for your house and follows the product label for whatever is used.
What paperwork does Texas require? #
Texas rule 4 TAC §7.174 says only a termite-category technician or certified applicator may write termite estimates and disclosure documents. Before treatment you should receive:
- A diagram of the structure showing where treatment will go
- The conducive conditions found during the inspection
- The label of the product to be applied
- The terms of any follow-up coverage, if any is offered
The company keeps copies for two years. After a treatment, a sticker goes in a standard spot, such as near the water heater or breaker box or under the kitchen sink, so future inspectors can see what was done.
Questions to ask before you sign anything #
How Pest Trappers handles termite control #
Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and holds TDA licensing in both general pest and termite categories, and owner Travis Lambert is a Texas certified applicator. The visit starts with the inspection described above. The technician then explains the options that fit your home, answers your questions and gives you the required documents before any work. Products are applied according to their labels, and the price is quoted once the inspection is done. The office confirms your appointment time.
We work across San Antonio, Leon Springs and The Dominion, Schertz and the surrounding Hill Country. For background on the insects themselves, see our termite fact sheet and types of termites in San Antonio.