Home / Termite Control
Termite ControlSubterranean termites are the termite problem in Arizona, and they leave signs on your stem wall and foundation long before you see one indoors. Our technicians inspect, tell you exactly what they found, and arrange and manage the treatment so you are not left guessing what to do next.
When people in the East Valley say termites, they almost always mean subterranean termites, the kind that live in the soil and travel up into wood rather than living inside the wood itself. Because they need contact with soil moisture to survive, they build mud tubes, thin tunnels of dirt run up a stem wall, block foundation or pier, to reach the wood framing of your home while staying protected from open air and predators. Finding a mud tube on your foundation or garage wall is one of the most reliable signs of activity, even if you have never seen a termite in the house.
The other clear sign is a swarm. After a summer monsoon storm, mature termite colonies send out winged swarmers to start new colonies nearby. They show up around outdoor lights, near windows and doors, and often leave a small pile of discarded wings behind once they land. A swarm at or near your home right after a storm is worth a call, even if you never see the swarmers indoors.
Most termite activity is found by looking in the right places, not by waiting for damage to show up inside the house.
Subterranean termites need soil contact to survive, so the setup of your yard matters as much as the age of your house. A few common issues worth a second look:
None of these mean termites are present, but they are the conditions termites are drawn to, and pointing them out is part of what a proper inspection covers.
Termite work at Peterson starts with a straightforward inspection of the property, inside and out, looking specifically for mud tubes, swarmers, damaged wood and anything else pointing to activity. You get a straight explanation of what was found and where, in plain language, not a sales pitch. From there, treatment for an active termite issue is arranged and managed on your behalf, so you have one point of contact handling the process instead of trying to coordinate it yourself.
Trying to handle a termite issue on your own, with a hardware-store spray aimed at a mud tube you can see, almost never reaches the colony feeding your home from the soil below. Termite work takes a different approach than the pests treated on a standard perimeter service, which is exactly why it gets arranged and managed rather than handled as a quick add-on. Once the situation is addressed, termite signs get folded into your regular pest service, so ongoing monitoring happens as part of the visits you are already having rather than requiring a separate appointment.
A lot of termite activity gets caught incidentally, during a regular scorpion or ant service, when our technicians notice a mud tube or old swarmer wings while walking the property. That is part of why recurring service catches problems earlier than waiting until something looks wrong inside the house.
Somewhere else in the Valley? Text the address to (480) 285-4040 and we will tell you straight whether it is on the route.
Mud tubes are thin, pencil-width tunnels of dirt that subterranean termites build up a stem wall, block foundation or pier to reach wood while staying protected from open air. Finding one on your foundation, garage wall or under a porch is one of the clearest signs of termite activity, even if you never see the termites themselves.
Look at the waist, the wings and the antennae. A termite swarmer has a thick waist, four wings that are all the same length and straight antennae. A flying ant has a pinched waist, wings of two different lengths and bent antennae. Swarmers around your home after a summer rain are worth a closer look either way.
Left alone, yes, subterranean termites feed on wood continuously and the damage adds up over time, especially in framing, trim and anything wood that sits close to soil contact. The damage is usually gradual and hidden behind drywall or under flooring, which is why catching activity early through mud tubes or swarmers matters more than waiting for visible damage.
An annual look is a reasonable baseline for most East Valley homes, and homes with mature landscaping, wood fencing, or a history of activity nearby benefit from checking more often. If your home is already on regular pest service with Peterson, termite signs get checked as part of that visit rather than needing a separate appointment.
Many Arizona home sales involve a termite inspection as part of the transaction, and having a current one in hand, or getting one done before you list, avoids a surprise during escrow. Call or text (480) 285-4040 and we can talk through the timing for your sale.
You get a straight explanation of what was found and where on the property, then Peterson arranges and manages the treatment on your behalf so you are not left figuring out next steps on your own. Once the active issue is addressed, termite signs are folded into your regular service so activity does not go unnoticed again.
One number, and it reaches our team. Call, text a photo of what you found, or leave your info below and we'll get back to you.
or send it hereFamily owned · AZ Lic. #9221 · Gilbert, Arizona