Preparing for termite treatmenta checklist for Houston homes

Clear access to the foundation outside and to garage walls, plumbing areas and crawlspace openings inside. Move stored items away from walls. Tell the professional about pets, wells, ponds, gardens and anyone in the home with health concerns. Ask what the plan is and how long the work will take.

Liquid treatments involve trenching and drilling. Tell the professional about wells, cisterns, ponds, fish tanks, edible gardens and plumbing in the slab. Keep children and pets away from treated soil until it dries. Ask whether you should cover fish tanks or turn off air pumps during interior work.

Bait installation is less disruptive. Mark sprinkler lines and underground utilities you know about so stations avoid them. Plan where you want to keep landscaping beds, and ask where stations will go.

Localized drywood treatments may involve drilling small holes in wood. Whole-structure fumigation requires everyone, including pets and plants, to leave, and food and medicines to be sealed or removed. The professional provides detailed instructions if fumigation is planned.

Avoid disturbing treated soil along the foundation. Do not replant beds against the house without asking. Expect some swarmers or tubes for a while as termites contact the treatment. Keep records of the treatment and any warranty.

For slab homes, clear the perimeter so the technician can trench along exposed soil. Move vehicles off driveways that will be drilled. Inside, the technician may need access to bathrooms with bath traps, which are sometimes behind a small panel in a closet or wall. Clear the area in front of those panels. If interior drilling is planned, move rugs and furniture from the areas involved.

For pier-and-beam houses, clear the crawlspace entrance and remove stored items from under the house if possible. Make sure the technician can reach all sides. Move potted plants, hoses and decorations from along the skirting. Tell the technician about any pets that might wander into the crawlspace.

Mark irrigation lines, invisible dog fences and other buried items near the house, so stations avoid them. Decide which beds you would rather keep undisturbed. Make gates accessible for future monitoring visits.

If treatment involves trenching near a shared fence or drilling a shared driveway, let neighbors know. In townhomes, tell the association. Neighbors appreciate notice about noise and work near property lines.

Ask for the written plan, product name, diagram of treated areas and service agreement. File them with your house records for future reference and resale.

Keep pets indoors or in a separate area of the yard during treatment. After a liquid treatment, keep children and pets off treated soil until it is dry. Ask the professional about any other precautions for your household, including anyone with health conditions or sensitivities.

Trenching along the foundation can disturb roots of shrubs and flowers planted close to the house. Ask the technician how they will handle beds. You may want to move small plants or containers before the visit. Afterward, replant with care, keeping mulch thin and away from the slab edge.

If interior drilling or treatment is planned, keep food covered and away from work areas. Cover fish tanks and turn off air pumps during interior work if the technician recommends it. Ventilate rooms afterward as advised.

Ask how long the work will take and whether you need to be home. Arrange for gates to be open, dogs secured and vehicles moved. If the technician needs access to every room with plumbing through the slab, plan to be there to open doors.

Before the technician leaves, ask what areas were treated, whether anything could not be treated, when you can replant or mulch, what signs to watch for, and when the next inspection or monitoring visit will be. Ask for the paperwork before they go.

Pull stored items at least a couple of feet away from garage walls, especially boxes and lumber. Clear the joint between the garage and house slabs. Move cars out if the garage floor or apron will be drilled.

Fumigation for drywood termites is a bigger undertaking. The house is covered and sealed, and everyone, including pets and houseplants, must leave for a set period. Food, medicine and some household items must be sealed in special bags or removed. The professional provides a detailed checklist and will tell you when it is safe to return. Follow it exactly.

For most liquid and bait treatments, utilities stay on. For fumigation, gas service may need to be shut off and relit afterward. Ask whether anything needs to be turned off.

Push small flags next to sprinkler heads, valve boxes and any buried lines near the foundation. Trenching and drilling crews can then avoid cutting them.

If the driveway or garage apron will be drilled, park on the street that day so the crew can reach the whole edge of the concrete.