Do I need to treat if I have not seen termites?

In high-pressure regions many owners treat preventively and many do not; it is a risk decision rather than a rule. What is not a judgement call is having the property inspected on a schedule, because the alternative is finding out from the damage.

Termite bait system or liquid treatment?

The short answer

A liquid treatment creates a continuous treated zone in the soil around and under the structure, and works quickly once complete. A bait system places monitored stations around the building and eliminates the colony over months, with ongoing service. Site conditions frequently decide it: slabs, wells, drainage and landscaping can make a continuous treated zone impractical.

Liquid treatment

Creates a treated zone the termites cannot pass without picking up the product.
Works quickly once applied, and typically involves drilling through slabs and hard surfaces where they abut the structure.
Depends on continuity: a gap in the zone is a way in, which is why later landscaping, trenching or a new slab can compromise it and often voids a guarantee.

Bait system

Monitored stations in the soil around the structure. Termites find them, feed, and carry the active ingredient back to the colony.
Slower to eliminate a colony, and it aims at the colony rather than at the building's perimeter.
Requires ongoing service visits to inspect and maintain the stations, which is both a cost and the mechanism by which you find out early next time.

What usually decides it

The building and the site. Wells, cisterns, drainage systems, extensive hardscaping, a crawl space with restricted access, or a slab with plumbing penetrations in awkward places can all make a complete liquid zone difficult to achieve. Ask the inspector to explain the site-specific reason for their recommendation, not the product-specific one.

Whichever you choose, the annual inspection is the part that matters most. Termite damage is invisible until it is substantial, and the inspection is a small fraction of the repair.

Also asked

Do I need to treat if I have not seen termites?: In high-pressure regions many owners treat preventively and many do not; it is a risk decision rather than a rule. What is not a judgement call is having the property inspected on a schedule, because the alternative is finding out from the damage.

Companies whose reviewers name termites

3,152 pest control businesses in the United States and Canada have reviewers who write about termites. Every listing shows the full rating distribution rather than the average, the share that is one or two star, and whether the owner replies.

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