Homes in central Texas are located within a geographic zone where termite pest activity is at its highest in the United States. The termite species found within this area include eastern subterranean termites, arid-land subterranean termites, western drywood termites and while the invasive Formosan subterranean termite is most abundant along the Gulf Coast, these highly destructive termite pests have been found infesting structures in central and northern Texas on occasion. However, all homes in Texas can be considered vulnerable to termite infestations if they are not protected by physical or termiticide barriers, a physical barrier can be anything from uninterrupted stone walls, or even gravel shed foundation or house foundations that are done professionally.
Termiticide barriers are applied beneath the soil surrounding a property, and they reliably prevent subterranean termites from moving into yards, and eventually, homes. Physical barriers, like wire mesh barriers, are also applied beneath the soil surrounding homes, and unlike termiticide barriers, physical barriers effectively repel termites permanently unless the land where they are located becomes disturbed or eroded. Ideally, termiticide barriers are applied beneath foundations and concrete slabs before a home’s construction begins, but many home builders skip termite barrier applications during a home’s construction. This is unfortunate for home buyers in Texas since new homes in the state that are not treated with termite barriers have a 70 percent chance of becoming infested with termites within 10 to 20 years following the home’s construction.
Termiticide barriers are far more common than physical barriers, as termiticide barriers are cheaper and less labor intensive to apply to soil. Of course, termiticide barriers are vulnerable to natural erosion, rainwater percolation, and land disturbances caused by construction. Overtime, termiticide chemicals degrade, and re-treatments are normally necessary every five years, but the state of Texas only legally allows termiticide retreatments under particular circumstances. For example, if there is no way of knowing when previous termiticide treatments were performed, then homeowners are legally allowed to have their properties re-treated. No matter when an initial treatment occurred, homeowners can legally have termiticides re-applied to their property if there exists evidence of an active termite infestation on a property. Finally, if a termiticide barrier was rendered ineffective for some reason, another treatment can be applied. It is also worth noting that termiticide barriers generally remain in tact following floods and hurricanes.
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