What are the signs of termites in a Florida home?
Swarmers or their shed wings, mud (shelter) tubes, frass and hollow or damaged wood. These are the same kinds of evidence Florida's official wood-destroying organism report asks inspectors to record: live insects, dead insects or wings, frass, shelter tubes, exit holes and visible damage. Drywood termites leave a giveaway of their own — UF/IFAS describes their frass as coffee-ground-like droppings, often found around windowsills.
- Swarmers: winged termites indoors or piles of identical wings by windows, doors and light fixtures.
- Mud tubes: pencil-width earthen tubes on the foundation, slab edge, piers or inside walls.
- Frass: small, hard pellets in little piles under wood trim or furniture.
- Damaged wood: trim that sounds hollow, bubbling paint, or wood that crumbles along the grain.
Which termites are found around Plant City?
Several, and they need different treatments. UF/IFAS counts 21 termite species recorded in Florida, at least six of them invasive, and reports the Formosan subterranean termite in all major Florida cities and the Asian subterranean termite now detected in Central Florida from Tampa to Melbourne. You can check species records near your street on the UF/IFAS termite distribution map.
| Termite | Type | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern subterranean | Native, lives in soil | Builds mud tubes up from the ground to reach wood. |
| Formosan subterranean | Invasive, soil and above-ground nests | Big colonies; FDACS says swarms run April to July, around 8–10 p.m., drawn to lights. |
| Asian subterranean | Invasive, soil | Spreading north; now detected in Central Florida (UF/IFAS, 2025). |
| West Indian drywood | Invasive, lives inside dry wood | No soil contact needed; frass pellets are the clue. Colonies sit inside the wood itself. |
That is why UF/IFAS advises identifying the species before any treatment, because each one is controlled differently. Save a few swarmers in a sealed bag for the inspector.
Do a few swarmers mean my house is infested?
Not necessarily. FDACS says homes in neighborhoods with Formosan termites can see a few to 100 swarmers indoors during swarm season, and most die within hours without moisture — an infested house sees hundreds to thousands, sometimes chewing out of walls and ceilings. FDACS also warns that a roof or plumbing leak can let Formosans build an above-ground "aerial" colony with no soil connection, so fix leaks fast.
What does a Florida termite (WDO) inspection report cover?
Only what the inspector can see and reach on the day. The state's FDACS-13645 Wood-Destroying Organisms Inspection Report records live organisms, evidence and visible damage from termites, powder post beetles, old house borers and wood-decaying fungi. It lists areas that were blocked or inaccessible, says plainly that it is not a structural damage report, and is not a guarantee that no termites are present unless it says so.
If you're buying, read Section 3 (obstructions and inaccessible areas) before closing, and ask what treatment history the seller can document.
Who is allowed to inspect and treat termites in Florida?
A licensed company whose certified operator holds the termite category. FDACS certifies operators in four categories, and termite and other wood-destroying organisms control is one of them; a company may only work in the categories its certified operator in charge holds. Fumigation (tenting for drywood termites) is a separate category again. Ask which categories the company holds before you book.
Older homes and Plant City termites
Plant City has a lot of older wood. The Downtown Plant City historic district is mostly bungalows and wood-frame houses built before 1948, while Walden Lake homes date from the 1980s through about 2002. Either way, a home that has never had a documented termite inspection is worth one — it's one of the main reasons people call our Plant City exterminator line. If you're also seeing roaches in the same damp areas, see cockroach control.