Termite treatment for St. Pete homes

Liquid soil barriers

A liquid termiticide is applied to the soil all the way around the house, so termites coming up from the ground have to pass through treated soil to reach the wood. Outside, the technician digs a narrow trench along the foundation and treats it as it is backfilled. Where concrete covers the soil, at a driveway, a patio or the garage slab, small holes are drilled through it, treated and patched. Inside, the same is done at plumbing penetrations and any cracks where the slab is known to let termites through.

Modern non-repellent products are the standard choice. Termites do not detect them, so they pass through, pick up the active ingredient and carry it back to the colony. A properly applied barrier is usually rated for several years, and it is the quickest way to stop an active subterranean infestation.

Bait stations

Bait systems work the other way round. In-ground stations are set every ten to twenty feet around the house, each holding a cellulose bait laced with a slow-acting growth regulator. Foraging termites find the bait, feed on it and share it through the colony, which then dies off over a period of weeks to months.

Baiting suits homes where trenching and drilling are awkward: pavers right up to the wall, a pool deck on one side, a well, or a family that would rather not have a liquid treatment around the house. Its weakness is that it only works if someone checks the stations. A bait contract should state how often they are opened, and the stations should carry dated service tags you can see for yourself.

Which suits your house

• 01Active subterranean termites inside the house: usually a liquid barrier, sometimes with bait stations added for long-term monitoring.
• 02No activity, but you want protection: a bait system or a preventive barrier, chosen on the layout of the yard and hardscape.
• 03Formosan termites: a large, aggressive colony; expect a barrier plus close follow-up, and an inspection of the trees and stumps on the lot.
• 04A small, contained drywood colony: a spot treatment in the affected wood, covered below.

Spot treatment for drywood termites

When drywood termites are limited to one window frame, a section of trim or a single piece of furniture, the wood can be treated directly. The technician drills small holes into the galleries, injects a foam or liquid product and seals the holes, or treats exposed wood with a borate that soaks in. It costs a fraction of tenting and nobody has to move out. The limit is that it only treats wood you can find. Drywood colonies are often in more than one place, so if the inspection finds pellets in several rooms, tenting is the honest recommendation. How tenting compares.

St. Pete houses and the usual entry points

Block homes on a slab are the majority here, and on these termites come in through the expansion joint between the slab and the stem wall, through gaps around plumbing that runs up through the floor, and behind stucco that has been brought down below the soil line. Older raised-floor bungalows give them a different route, up the piers and into the sills, which is easier to spot from the crawl space. Mulch beds against the wall, irrigation that soaks the foundation and wood fences fixed to the house all make it worse, and the technician will point these out because fixing them is cheaper than any treatment.

What termite treatment costs

These are estimates for typical south Pinellas homes, not quotes. The linear footage of the foundation, how much concrete has to be drilled and the product chosen set the real number, and you see it in writing after the inspection.

Most treatments come with an optional renewable warranty. Read the renewal terms closely: whether it is a retreat-only warranty or one that also covers repairs, and what the yearly renewal costs. The price guide lays out typical renewal fees.

Last updated October 8, 2026