Termite damage does not always look like damage at first. It looks like a soft spot in the floor, a door that sticks, paint that bubbles without a clear reason, or a small pile of pellet-like debris near a baseboard. By the time those signs are obvious, the colony has had time to work. Getting an inspection on the calendar is the right move, and it does not need to wait until the evidence is unmistakable.
We inspect and treat properties throughout Menlo Park, from single-family homes and older wood-frame construction to rental properties and homes moving through a transaction. We cover the full range of termite situations: confirming what is present, choosing the treatment that fits the termite type and the structure, and setting up a monitoring plan that keeps the property checked going forward.
Call (669) 359-4289 to get a quote and book your inspection.
Before the colony does another season of damage, it helps to understand what you are dealing with and why the right response depends on which termite is present.
Drywood termites do not need soil contact to establish. They move into exposed wood through gaps in trim, attic vents, and unfinished surfaces, then build their galleries entirely inside the material. The signs they leave are easy to miss: small kick-out holes and tiny pellet-like droppings below the infested area. A widespread drywood infestation, one that has spread through attic framing or multiple wall cavities, calls for whole-structure fumigation so every gallery is reached at once. A smaller, contained infestation in accessible wood can often be handled with a localized spot treatment or a borate wood treatment applied directly to the affected framing.
Subterranean termites travel through the soil and build mud tubes to reach wood above grade. Those tubes, running along a foundation wall, a slab edge, or a pier block, are often the first concrete sign of a subterranean colony. Once they reach the floor system, they can spread through joists and subfloor framing quickly.
The treatment for subterranean activity is a liquid termiticide barrier, applied to the soil around and under the foundation. A non-repellent termiticide is used so that termites passing through the treated zone carry the product back to the colony without detecting it. Bait and monitoring stations are another option, placed at intervals around the property perimeter to intercept foraging termites and reduce the colony over time. The two approaches are often paired on properties where subterranean pressure warrants broader coverage.
Porches, steps, deck framing, and attached structures are common entry points that a standard walkthrough can miss if the inspection is not thorough. Wood-to-soil contact at a porch post, a stair stringer resting on bare ground, or framing close to grade all create conditions that draw termites in. Correcting those contact points is worth addressing alongside any treatment, because leaving them in place after treatment gives a new colony the same invitation the last one had. Wood touching soil around the foundation is worth fixing either way.
Bait stations installed after an initial treatment continue working as an early-warning system. Termites foraging through the soil find them during normal activity, and the bait is carried back to the colony. Servicing those stations on a regular schedule is what keeps the monitoring useful. A station that has not been checked is not protecting the property.
Sellers, buyers, and agents handling a Menlo Park property often need a WDO inspection before a closing date. A WDO inspection, which stands for wood-destroying organism inspection, covers active termites, other wood-destroying insects, and evidence of past activity throughout the structure. We book and perform the inspection. If a transaction timeline is driving the schedule, call and mention that when you reach us.
A little preparation before the visit means the inspection covers everything it should. The areas that matter most are the ones that are easiest to overlook.
The crawlspace access point needs to be clear and reachable. If there is stored material against the foundation wall, moving it back gives the inspector a clear look at the perimeter. Attic access should be unobstructed where possible. Garage walls and the interior side of the foundation should be accessible enough for a close look.
For a fumigation, the preparation is more involved. The steps a household needs to take before the structure is tented are covered in detail on the call and again before the work begins. Products are applied according to the label, and any questions about what the household should do regarding pets, plants, or stored food are answered before the visit is scheduled.
The amount of time to set aside depends on the treatment type. An inspection alone takes a couple of hours for most residential properties. A liquid barrier treatment takes longer. Fumigation requires the structure to be vacated for a period that is explained when the job is scoped. None of that is left ambiguous before the visit starts.
Booking your inspection takes one phone call. We are available every day from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Termite inspections are booked around your schedule, so a visit can be arranged around an occupied household, a tenant, or a business operating on site.
If a closing date is driving the timeline, mention that when you call. A WDO inspection for a real estate transaction can be scheduled with the timing of the closing in mind. The inspection is the step that needs to happen before any treatment is quoted, and we do not skip it to move faster.
Short-notice requests are taken.
Ask what the current schedule allows when you call (669) 359-4289.
When the inspector arrives, the guesswork ends. We examine the full foundation perimeter, the crawlspace and subfloor where accessible, slab edges, visible framing in the attic, and the interior side of the foundation wall. Swarmer and mud-tube identification is part of that walkthrough, as is checking for drywood signs: kick-out holes, frass, and any evidence of past or current gallery activity.
The inspection also notes conducive conditions. Moisture problems, drainage issues, and wood-to-soil contact points are documented alongside any termite findings. Other wood-destroying insects, including carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles, may be noted as part of the full inspection scope. Those are findings, not treatments we offer separately.
What comes out of the inspection is a clear picture of what is present, what type of termite is involved, and how far the activity has spread. That picture is what the treatment recommendation is built on. Nothing is quoted before it is complete. Anybody planning ahead in Menlo Park can start with our services list for termite work.
The price depends on what the inspection confirms. The size of the property, how it is constructed, how reachable the affected timber is, and which treatment suits the termite type all move the number. A contained spot treatment on accessible framing is priced differently from a full liquid barrier around a larger foundation, and whole-structure fumigation involves a different scope again.
The rate is confirmed on the call before anything is scheduled. Ask what it covers and you get a straight answer. We do not schedule a visit before the cost and the scope are settled. From the inspection on, it's on us.
Call (669) 359-4289 to get a quote before any treatment starts.
Pre-construction soil treatment addresses subterranean termite pressure at the point in a project where it is most effective: before the slab is poured. Once the concrete is down, the soil beneath it is no longer accessible. That window does not come back.
For new construction in and around Menlo Park, treating the soil at the right stage of the project establishes a barrier that is sealed in place as the foundation is set. Builders and contractors can call to discuss scheduling around the construction timeline. The treatment needs to happen before the pour, and coordinating that timing is part of the conversation when you call.
We serve Menlo Park and the neighboring communities throughout San Mateo County and the surrounding area, including:
If your property is in or around Menlo Park, call (669) 359-4289 to confirm coverage at your address and get a quote.
Older wood-frame construction often has more entry points, more wood-to-soil contact, and crawlspace framing that has never been inspected. That does not mean newer homes are not at risk, but it does mean an older home that has not had a recent inspection is worth scheduling sooner rather than later. The inspection maps what is present regardless of when the structure was built.
A follow-up visit checks whether the treatment is working as expected, whether any new activity has appeared, and whether bait stations need attention. It is part of keeping the protection in place rather than assuming a single treatment settles the matter permanently.
The soil trenched during a liquid barrier treatment is backfilled as part of the process. If landscaping close to the foundation is affected, the extent of any disruption is discussed before the work begins.
A buyer, a lender, or a real estate agent may ask for a WDO inspection as part of the transaction. We book and perform the inspection, and we can schedule around a closing date when timing is tight. Call and mention the transaction when you reach us, and we will confirm what the schedule allows.
Property size is one of the factors that affects the cost of treatment. A larger structure or a larger foundation perimeter requires more material and more time to treat. The price is confirmed on the call once the scope of the property is described.
No matter how deep the termites have tunneled, the answer is the same: an inspection first, a treatment matched to what it finds, and a monitoring plan that keeps the property checked going forward. We're ready when the termites aren't welcome anymore.
Call (669) 359-4289 to schedule.
The rate is confirmed before we book the visit, and the treatment scope is settled before any work begins. A protected foundation. A clear report. A plan you can follow.
Termite control also reaches these towns: East Palo Alto, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Newark, San Mateo.
(669) 359-4289