Believe it or not, termites do serve a purpose. They feed on cellulose in wood, so they play a role in helping return dead trees and other wood parts back to the soil, and when termites tunnel through the soil, it promotes porosity. On the other hand, there’s the unfortunate fruit of these insects’ labor that you’re likely more familiar with — the costly damage termites cause when they infest a home.

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Here are the various costs associated with addressing your termite problem.

How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?

Termite treatment cost depends on the home’s size, construction, the treatment method and if there’s any damage to repair. According to Fixr, the average cost for termite treatment is $680 (CAD 930), with a typical range between $450 and $2,000 (CAD 616 and CAD 2,736). The cost is generally relative to the size of the structure being treated and the type of treatment used.

Chemical Treatment

You should expect to pay between $325 and $350 (CAD 445 and CAD 479) per application for chemical termite treatment, based on data from MarketWatch.

Bait Extermination

With bait extermination, insecticides — “insect growth regulators” — are used in bait the termites eat. This affects the termites’ ability to molt and, over time, limits the ability of the colony of insects to collect food, so they eventually die off.

For bait extermination, expect to pay between $8 and $12 (CAD 11 and CAD 17) per linear foot.

Fumigation

Fumigation treatment that requires tenting the home and applying lethal gas costs between $2,000 and $8,000 (CAD 2,736 and CAD 10,924), according to HomeGuide data. Exterminators may base fumigation costs on the home’s cubic feet (total volume) or square feet (total area). The cost for heat extermination and tenting for a house is between $2,000 and $6,000 (CAD 2,736 and CAD 8,207). Electro-gun and microwave treatment for localized infestations costs around $6 to $8 (CAD 8.21 to CAD 11) per square foot.

Signs of Termite Infestation

Beyond seeing swarms of termites inside a house, rotting or dry wood that falls apart when it's disturbed or punctured with a screwdriver is another telltale sign of a termite problem. Termites travel through tunnels in the soil — and they tunnel through wood as well.

It requires expertise and special equipment to determine where termites are, as they can burrow under slab foundations, inside timbers and through openings in masonry. Termites hide so well that a termite inspection before buying a home doesn't guarantee no termites are present; it merely indicates to a homeowner whether the inspector saw termites during that visit.

Cost of Termite Inspections

When you get an inspection before treating a home for termites, the extermination company you hire usually does it for free. However, if you get an inspection as a requirement for purchasing a home, the termite inspection will be a separate cost. Based on data from HomeGuide, you can expect to pay between $75 and $150 (CAD 103 and CAD 205) for a termite inspection.

Annual Inspections

It's wise to protect your home with annual termite inspections. If you sign a contract for annual inspections, expect the fee to run between $100 and $300 (CAD 137 and CAD 410) per quarter. These fees include the cost of regular inspections and treatment if your inspector discovers an infestation.

Can You Exterminate Termites Yourself?

A homeowner who observes termites swarming might think spraying the affected area with a pesticide takes care of the issue, but most of the time, a professional termite treatment is needed.

Termites are hard to get rid of, but a professional termite treatment can kill existing pests and keep potential intruders away. Before treatment begins, it can be helpful to know the exact source of the infestation and which species of termites are present. For example, your home could be infested with damp wood, dry wood or subterranean termites.

Professionals who assess and treat termite infestation have special training in identifying the insect species and the damage they cause. They’re familiar with building construction and know how to select the best mitigation treatments for termites. Choosing the proper treatment also requires calculating the square footage of the areas to be treated, determining the treatment’s chemical concentration and ensuring it doesn't cause environmental hazards or other problems.

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How Do Exterminators Treat Infestations?

The intensity and choice of treatment depend on the species, the infestation's severity and the homeowner's preference. Options for termite treatments include bait, chemicals, fumigation, heat, electro-gun and microwave.

Bait

Bait treatments take less time to put in place but longer to eradicate the insects. The amount of termiticide in baits is less than with a liquid treatment. Before placing bait, the technician may need to treat active infestations with smaller amounts of liquid pesticides to get ahead of the problem. Baiting will require maintenance to ensure it keeps working by providing residual control.

Liquid Termite Treatments

Liquid treatment takes more time and requires more termiticide, but it tends to work faster, and maintenance isn't required after the treatment is applied. The liquid barrier in the soil controls termites until it breaks down, or until an activity such as altering the soil disturbs it. Liquid treatment works well when there are subterranean termites.

Fumigation

Fumigation may require covering or tenting the dwelling with tarps and releasing fumigant throughout the home. The fumigant goes into hard-to-reach places, including cracks and termite tunnels, to kill the insects.

Heat Treatment

Heat treatment also requires tenting the house, releasing dry heat into the structure and allowing the wood core to reach 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 54 degrees Celsius) for 60 to 90 minutes.

Other Options

With electro-gun treatment, high-voltage electricity follows the wood’s grain to reach and kill termites. Microwave treatment kills the termites by heating wood from the inside out.

How Long Do Termite Treatments Last?

Termiticides can break down over time. Also, digging or another activity that disturbs the soil around a structure’s foundation can affect how well the chemicals continue to work. The USDA Forest Service tests termiticides and requires the products to control termites for at least five years. The treatment may work for several years longer, but the general recommendation is to retreat a property every five years — depending on the extermination method used. Ask your exterminator how effective they expect the termite treatment to be.

Annual Inspections

Annual inspections ensure a home remains protected. Without yearly inspections, there’s no way of knowing for sure whether there’s another infestation. When you have a contract, the inspector treats any suspect areas. If you let your contract expire, the company that did the work is under no obligation to inspect or treat areas under that contract's conditions.

Preventive Measures

As with other home maintenance concerns, there are some steps homeowners can take to prevent termite infestations:

• Vapor barriers installed in crawl spaces reduce moisture.
• Try not to use wood mulch near a structure or foundation. It might contain termites, or it can provide a pathway for termites to enter a structure.
• Avoid aiming sprinklers or hoses toward a home’s foundation to keep it mostly dry.
• To prevent shrubs from growing too thick near the foundation, trim them regularly.
• If you’re building a home, ask the builder what preventive measures they’ll use to prevent termite infestations.

All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.