Termite Control in Durham, NC

Scott’s Turf and Pest Services inspects and treats Durham homes for termites, and provides the termite report buyers and lenders ask for when a house sells. Scott’s is a family-owned pest control company that has served Durham and the Triangle since 1997. It is owned and run by Steve and Emily Scott, and every job is handled by NC-licensed applicators.

Found mud tubes on the foundation, wings on a windowsill or wood that sounds hollow? Call 919-923-2361. Same-day service is available for urgent situations.

Scott’s Termite Service at a Glance

• Inspections: a licensed Scott’s technician checks the foundation, crawl space, attic, garage and every place wood meets soil, then shows you what was found.
• Home sales: Scott’s inspects homes for real estate transactions and provides North Carolina’s official Wood-Destroying Insect Information Report.
• Treatment: liquid treatment with Termidor or an equivalent professional termiticide, termite bait stations and borate wood treatments, matched to the house.
• New construction: termite pretreatment for homes being built.
• Termite bonds: after treatment, an ongoing termite bond with yearly inspections that can transfer to the new owner when the house sells.
• Pricing: an upfront price before any work starts. Typical Durham ranges are below.
• Service area: all of Durham, including ZIP codes 27701, 27703, 27704, 27705, 27707, 27710, 27712 and 27713, from Scott’s base in Hillsborough.

Termite Inspections for Durham Home Sales

When a house sells in North Carolina, the termite report is the Official Wood-Destroying Insect Information Report, form WDIR 100. Only a company licensed by the NC Department of Agriculture’s Structural Pest Control Division can issue it, and the department notes that it is required on almost every home sold in the state.

People often call it a “termite letter,” but it covers more than termites. It records visible evidence of subterranean termites, powder post beetles, old house borers and carpenter ants, plus conditions that invite termites, such as wood touching soil or wet wood in a crawl space. It is a record of what was visible on the day of the inspection, not a warranty.

Scott’s inspects homes for real estate transactions and provides the report. When you call 919-923-2361, give the office the property address and your closing date.

How Scott’s Treats Termites

Liquid treatment

Scott’s applies Termidor or an equivalent professional termiticide to the soil around the foundation and in the crawl space, according to the product label. Termites that pass through the treated soil carry the product back to the colony. Treating an average Durham home takes about 4 to 6 hours, and your technician explains any precautions for the product being used.

Bait stations

Bait stations go in the ground around the house. Foraging termites carry the bait back to the colony, and Scott’s checks and maintains the stations every quarter.

Borate wood treatment

Borate products are applied directly to wood, most often in crawl spaces, to protect specific areas of the house.

New-construction pretreatment

For homes being built, Scott’s pretreats the soil during construction, before termites have a chance to find the new wood.

Termite Bonds and Yearly Inspections

After treatment, Scott’s offers a termite bond: an ongoing agreement that includes a termite inspection every year, so new activity is caught early. Scott’s termite bonds can transfer to the new owner when the house sells, which buyers and their agents like to see at closing.

Signs of Termites in Your Durham Home

Mud tubes on the foundation are the most common sign. These pencil-width tubes run from the soil up the foundation wall and give termites a protected path into the house. Check the foundation, the crawl space walls and anywhere concrete meets wood.

Swarmers near windows or lights show up in Durham between March and May. Swarmers are winged termites leaving an established colony to start new ones, and discarded wings on a windowsill mean a colony is close by or inside.

Hollow-sounding wood, floors that feel soft, doors and windows that suddenly stick, and paint that bubbles for no clear reason can all point to termite damage behind the surface.

Frass, small piles of wood-colored pellets near baseboards or on windowsills, usually points to drywood termites.

Types of Termites in Durham

The eastern subterranean termite is the main species attacking Durham homes. Colonies live underground, can hold hundreds of thousands of workers, and build mud tubes to reach the wood in a house through cracks as thin as 1/32 of an inch. Durham’s warm, humid climate keeps them active most of the year, and most homeowners don’t find the damage until it is already expensive to repair.

Drywood termites are less common in Durham but do turn up, usually in older homes or in furniture and wood brought in from coastal areas. They live entirely inside the wood they eat and don’t need contact with soil.

Durham Homes Most at Risk

Every Durham home can get termites, but some conditions raise the risk. Older neighborhoods such as Trinity Park, Old North Durham, Walltown and Forest Hills have homes built before modern termite prevention codes, and their mature trees and established landscaping keep the soil moist. Homes near Falls Lake, the Eno River and the wooded parts of northern Durham County face more termite pressure from moisture and wood debris. Newer developments in Southpoint, Woodcroft and Hope Valley are not immune either, because construction disturbs existing colonies.

Crawl spaces, wood siding, mulch beds against the foundation and firewood stacked by the house all raise the risk, in any neighborhood.

What Termite Treatment Costs in Durham

Cost depends on the size of the house, how much activity there is and which treatment fits. As a general guide for the Durham area, liquid treatment for a typical home runs $800 to $2,500, and bait systems generally run $1,200 to $3,500 including annual service. Larger homes and heavy activity can cost more.

Scott’s walks the property, shows you what it found and gives you an upfront price with no hidden fees before any work starts. Ask about Scott’s current new-customer offer when you call 919-923-2361.

Why Durham Homeowners Choose Scott’s for Termites

Scott’s has served the area since 1997. It is owned and run by Steve and Emily Scott, their son Davis manages service, and the work is done by NC-licensed applicators using professional-grade products. Scott’s has more than 600 Google reviews across its profiles, averaging 5.0 stars.

“Prompt, friendly and I would recommend them to anyone needing pest control or termite treatment.” Branden Kern, Google review

No upselling and no scare tactics. Scott’s shows you what it found and lets you decide.

Durham Termite Questions

Do I need a termite inspection to buy a house in Durham?

Almost always. The NC Department of Agriculture notes that the official Wood-Destroying Insect Information Report is required on almost every home sold in North Carolina, and only a licensed pest control company can issue it. Scott’s inspects homes for real estate transactions and provides the report.

How do I get a termite report for my closing?

Call Scott’s at 919-923-2361 with the property address and your closing date. A licensed technician inspects the house and Scott’s provides the North Carolina WDIR 100 report.

What is a termite bond, and does it transfer when I sell?

A termite bond is an ongoing agreement after treatment that includes a yearly termite inspection. Scott’s termite bonds can transfer to the new owner when the house sells.

How long does termite treatment take?

Liquid treatment for an average Durham home takes about 4 to 6 hours. Most of the product goes into the soil around the foundation and in the crawl space, and your technician explains any precautions before starting.

When is termite season in Durham?

Swarm season runs from March through May, when winged termites leave to start new colonies. Worker termites stay active underground all year in Durham’s mild climate, so damage doesn’t take a season off.

Is termite treatment pet and kid friendly?

Most liquid termite treatment goes into the soil around the foundation and in the crawl space, applied according to the product label. Where a label calls for other application points, your technician tells you before starting, along with when people and pets can return to treated areas and any other precautions.

How much does termite treatment cost in Durham?

As a general guide for the Durham area, liquid treatment for a typical home runs $800 to $2,500, and bait systems run $1,200 to $3,500 including annual service. Scott’s gives an exact, upfront price after inspecting the house.

Sources

• NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: A homebuyer’s guide to the Wood-Destroying Insect Report (WDIR)
• NC State Extension: Termites: preventing problems in existing homes

Book a Termite Inspection in Durham

Call 919-923-2361 or request a quote online. Ask about Scott’s current new-customer offer when you call.

Scott’s also serves Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Mebane and the rest of the Triangle. See pest control in Durham, Scott’s termite control, termite control in Chapel Hill and rodent control in Durham. Further reading: Signs of termites in a North Carolina home and Questions to ask your termite exterminator.