Catch Termites Before They Destroy Your Home’s Structure.
We inspect, we treat, and we protect your biggest investment.
If you’re in Worcester, Sterling, Holden, or nearby and you’ve seen winged insects swarming inside your home in spring or you’ve noticed mud tubes on your foundation you might have termites.
We’ll inspect your home, identify whether you have termites (or carpenter ants—they’re often confused), and recommend the right treatment to protect your home.
Quick request. We’ll confirm what’s going on and give you clear options.
Subterranean termites (the kind we have in Massachusetts) live in the soil and build mud tubes to reach the wood in your home. They don’t need a big opening just contact between soil and wood, or a crack in your foundation.
Wood Touching Soil
Deck posts, porch supports, wooden steps, and siding that touch the ground give termites a direct path.
Moisture Problems
Termites need moisture to survive. Leaky pipes, poor drainage, damp basements, and clogged gutters create conditions termites love.
Mud Tubes on Foundation
These pencil-width mud tubes on your foundation walls are termite highways. They protect termites from open air as they travel between soil and wood.
Termites vs. Carpenter Ants
Know the Difference
People confuse these all the time, but the treatment is completely different:
Feature | Termites | Carpenter Ants |
|---|---|---|
Body shape | Straight, thick waist | Pinched waist (like an hourglass) |
Antennae | Straight, beaded | Bent/elbowed |
Wings | Both pairs same length | Front wings longer than back |
Damage sign | Mud tubes, hollow wood | Sawdust piles (frass) |
What they eat | Actually eat wood | Just nest in it (don’t eat it) |
Not sure what you have? Send us a photo—or save a sample and we’ll identify it during inspection
Quick Gut Check
What are you noticing right now? Click the tab that matches your situation. We’ll help you understand what it means.
If you’re finding winged insects inside your home—especially in spring (April through June in Worcester County)—you may have witnessed a termite swarm. Swarmers are reproductive termites leaving an established colony to start new ones.
What this means: Swarmers inside your home strongly suggest a colony is already established in or very near your house. They don’t fly far from the nest.
Mud tubes are the clearest sign of subterranean termites. These pencil-width tunnels made of soil and saliva run along foundation walls, pipes, and any surface between the ground and wood.
What this means: An active colony is accessing your home. Even if you don’t see damage yet, termites are feeding on wood somewhere in the structure.
Pick the approach that fits your home and budget.
If you’re not sure whether you have termites, start with an inspection.
If you know you have them (or we confirm it), we’ll recommend treatment based on your home’s construction and the extent of activity. A proactive foundation treatment last 7-10 years!
Professional Termite Inspection
A thorough inspection of your home’s interior and exterior, foundation, crawl spaces, and any areas where termites commonly enter. We check for active termites, past damage, and conditions that attract them.
Property Treatment
Full exterior foundation or bait station treatment. We know the local and state regulations. Especially for lake properties.
Homeowners Insurance Does NOT Cover Termite Damage
This catches a lot of people off guard. Unlike water damage or fire, termite damage is considered “preventable” and isn’t covered by standard homeowners policies.
Average repair costs:
- Minor damage (trim, small areas): $1,000 – $3,000
- Moderate damage (subfloor, some joists): $3,000 – $8,000
- Severe structural damage: $10,000 – $30,000+
Early detection saves money. A $200-350 inspection is a lot cheaper than discovering damage when you try to sell your home.
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FAQ
Quick answers to the most popular questions.Replace with your real policies, timelines, and warranty terms.
How much does a termite inspection cost?
For Worcester County homes, a professional termite inspection typically costs $200-$350 depending on the size of your home and accessibility of crawl spaces.
This includes a written report with photos that’s accepted by mortgage lenders for real estate transactions. If you’re buying or selling a home, you’ll likely need what’s called a “Wood Destroying Insect Report” (WDI report)—that’s the same inspection with specific documentation.
If we find termites during inspection, we’ll provide treatment options and pricing at no additional charge.
What are the signs of termites in a house?
The most common signs we see in Worcester County:
Mud tubes on foundation walls, pipes, or in crawl spaces (pencil-width tubes made of soil)
Swarmers (winged termites) inside your home, especially in spring
Shed wings on windowsills or floors
Hollow-sounding wood when tapped
Soft or damaged wood that crumbles easily
Blistering or bubbling paint on wood surfaces (can look like water damage)
Many homeowners discover termites during renovations when they open up walls. That’s why we recommend inspection before any major remodel in older homes.
How do you tell termites from carpenter ants?
This is one of the most common misidentifications we see. Both swarm in spring and both damage wood—but they’re very different:
Body shape: Termites have a straight, thick waist. Carpenter ants have a pinched waist like an hourglass.
Wings: Termite wings are all the same length. Carpenter ant front wings are longer than back wings.
Antennae: Termite antennae are straight and beaded. Carpenter ant antennae are bent/elbowed.
Damage pattern: Termites leave mud and a honeycomb pattern inside wood. Carpenter ants leave clean, smooth galleries with sawdust (frass) piles outside.
What they do: Termites actually eat wood. Carpenter ants just nest in it—they don’t eat it.
Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage?
No – and this surprises a lot of people. Standard homeowners insurance policies exclude termite damage because it’s considered preventable and happens gradually over time.
This means if termites damage your floor joists, subfloor, or framing, you’re paying for repairs out of pocket. Average repair costs range from $3,000 for moderate damage to $10,000+ for severe structural damage.
That’s why inspection and early treatment are so important. A few hundred dollars for inspection and a few thousand for treatment is much less than major structural repairs.
How long does termite treatment last?
It depends on the treatment type:
Liquid barrier treatment (Termidor, etc.): Lasts 5-10+ years in the soil. This creates a treated zone around your foundation that termites can’t cross.
Bait systems (Sentricon, Trelona): Ongoing protection as long as stations are maintained. Bait is replenished during annual inspections.
Spot treatments: Variable, may only address the immediate problem without preventing future entry elsewhere.
We provide warranties with our full perimeter treatments. If termites return during the warranty period, we re-treat at no charge.
How long does it take termites to cause serious damage?
Termites work slowly compared to other pests. A typical colony (60,000 termites) might eat about 1/5 of an ounce of wood per day that’s roughly one 2×4 board per year. Damage accumulates over years without being visible. By the time you see signs, termites may have been feeding for 3-5 years or longer. Mature colonies can have hundreds of thousands of termites.
This is why early detection matters so much. The damage from a 1-year infestation is manageable. The damage from a 10-year infestation can be catastrophic.
Local Resources
Want to explore your DIY options see our local guides and our advanced monitoring platform
Termite Guides
Want more info on controlling termites.
RodentRX
If you are under constant rodent pressure we can monitor and service your property as needed without you even noticing.