The Termite Guy FAQs

People, pets, and houseplants must be removed from the home before fumigation and can return only after the structure has been cleared as safe. Outdoor plants and landscaping are generally not affected, as long as they are not enclosed under the fumigation tarp.

Yes, every fumigation we perform is backed by a 5-year warranty against drywood termites.

No. Once the fumigation is complete and the home has been properly aerated, the fumigant gas completely dissipates and leaves no residue on your furniture, clothing, dishes, or other household items. Because the gas leaves no residue, there is no need to clean your home after fumigation beyond your normal routine. For added peace of mind, our fumigations are backed by a 5-year warranty, giving you continued protection long after the process is complete.

Fumigation pricing is based primarily on the cubic footage of your home, which determines the amount of tarping and fumigant required. Our fumigations also include a 5-year warranty, providing long-term protection and added peace of mind. Call us at (877) TERMITE | (877) 837-6483 with your address, and we can provide a ballpark estimate before scheduling your inspection.

Fumigation is typically recommended when drywood termites are found in multiple areas of the home or when they are suspected to be hidden inside walls, attics, eaves, or other inaccessible areas where localized treatment cannot reach. If the infestation is limited to one or two accessible areas, localized treatment is often the more practical and less disruptive option.

We manage the entire fumigation process from start to finish. Your Transaction Coordinator and inspector will be your primary point of contact throughout the process. They coordinate scheduling with the fumigation crew, collect all required documents and authorizations, provide preparation instructions, and keep you informed every step of the way to ensure everything stays on track.

Once the home has aerated and passes clearance testing, we will remove the tent, certify the structure as safe, and post a Safe for Re-Entry Notice on the front door. We recommend returning to your home in the afternoon on your scheduled re-entry day. The homeowner is responsible for contacting the gas company at least 48 hours in advance to schedule gas restoration. Be sure to request an afternoon appointment, as the home must first be certified safe for re-entry. Do not remove the Safe for Re-Entry Notice from your front door until after the gas company arrives, as they will not enter the property if the notice is missing.

Localized treatment targets termite activity in a specific, identified area — like a single beam, sill plate, or section of subflooring — using injected or applied treatments directly where the infestation is, without tenting the whole structure.

It's the right call when an inspection confirms termite activity is confined to one or a few accessible locations, rather than spread throughout the structure. It causes far less disruption than fumigation, since there's no need to vacate the home or bag up food.

Cost depends entirely on the extent and location of the infestation found during inspection, so we don't estimate it sight-unseen. Once we've inspected your property, you'll get a clear, written treatment estimate before any work begins.

No. In most cases, you can remain in your home during a localized treatment because only specific areas are treated rather than the entire structure. However, you will need to stay out of the treated area for a few hours after the application, as instructed by your technician.

Most localized treatments are completed in a single visit, typically a few hours, depending on how many areas need treatment and how accessible they are.

Localized treatment is highly effective when drywood termite activity is limited to one or two accessible areas. Because the inspection is visual only, it treats only the areas where termite activity is found and cannot address hidden infestations that are not visible at the time of the inspection. The treatments include a 1-year warranty, limited to the specific area(s) that were treated. If widespread or inaccessible termite activity is suspected, fumigation may be the more appropriate solution.

Yes. Localized treatment is the standard treatment for subterranean termites. Unlike drywood termites, subterranean termites live in the soil and travel into structures through mud tubes, so fumigation is not effective against them. Depending on the infestation, we may recommend a localized treatment, a perimeter soil treatment, or a combination of both to eliminate the colony and protect your home.

Heat treatment uses specialized equipment to raise the temperature inside the treated area to a level that is lethal to drywood termites. The heat penetrates deep into the wood, eliminating termites without the use of fumigant gas or tents. Pros: • No fumigant gas or tenting required. • Can often be completed in a single day. • You typically do not have to leave your home for several days as you would with fumigation. • Leaves no chemical residue. Cons: • Typically more expensive than localized chemical treatment. • Depending on the property, it may not be suitable for widespread infestations. • Heat-sensitive items may need to be removed or protected, such as wood furniture assembled with glue, artwork, candles, vinyl records, electronics, certain musical instruments, and other items that can warp, melt, or be damaged by high temperatures.

Most heat treatments are completed in a single day, since there's no aeration period required the way there is with fumigation.

If treatment is limited to a specific area, you can often remain elsewhere in the home; whole-structure heat treatment, like fumigation, requires the home to be vacated during the process.

Heat treatment can be highly effective for drywood termites when properly executed, particularly for treating a defined area or void. For widespread infestation across a large or complex structure, fumigation is generally the more reliable whole-structure option.

Heat treatment is generally safe for most building materials, but certain heat-sensitive items — electronics, artwork, candles, some plastics — need to be removed or protected before treatment. We'll walk through what needs to be moved before your scheduled treatment.

Yes. In addition to being a licensed structural pest control company, we're also a licensed general contractor (CSLB B-1) and licensed roofing contractor (CSLB C-39). That means we can handle the entire process—from the termite inspection and treatment to repairing any termite-damaged wood and roofing—so you don't have to coordinate multiple contractors.