Treatment at an existing house
Most work is done around a house already standing. The technician plans the zone around shrubs, porch steps and the utility lines that run to the building, and notes any spot where the zone cannot reach.
Serving Jefferson County
Soil-Line Termite Treatment in Birmingham, AL
Treating the soil around the foundation in Birmingham and Jefferson County, with the zone, the method and the aftercare set out in writing before the work starts.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Ants, roaches, rodents and termites
- Price confirmed on site first
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Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Soil Treatment
Soil-Line Termite Treatment: what it covers
Quick answer
Soil-line termite treatment places a termiticide in the soil around the foundation, along the footings and beside the wood that meets the ground, so termites that approach from below meet the treatment before they reach the structure. The zone, method and aftercare are written down first, and the price is confirmed on site.
The soil line is where most termite work begins and ends. Subterranean termites live in the ground and travel up through soil and mud tubes to reach wood, so a treatment placed in the soil beside the foundation addresses the route rather than the wood at the far end of it.
Work in Birmingham is planned around the building and the ground that surrounds it. A cellar, a crawl space, a slab with a brick veneer and a bed of mulch against the wall each change where the treatment has to go. The technician measures the perimeter, marks the points where the soil has been disturbed, and sets the zone from those measurements rather than from a template.
A soil treatment is not a substitute for an inspection. It follows the findings. If the wood is not attacked, the plan may be monitoring alone; if it is, the zone is treated and the conditions that let termites back in are listed for the owner, who decides what to change and when.
- Service area
- Birmingham & Jefferson County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Warning signs
Signs you need soil-line termite treatment
Keep children and pets off freshly treated soil until the technician says it is safe, and do not dig into the treated band. Do not apply any product to the soil yourself, because a wrong product or a wrong dose changes what the zone can do.
- Soil heaped or bridged against siding, brick or the foundation wall
- Mulch piled above the level of the first course of brick or the sill
- Gutters that discharge onto the bed beside the foundation
- A crawl space with standing water or soil that stays damp after rain
- Mud tubes on the foundation wall or a pier, rising from the ground
- Wood in the gap between soil and wall that is soft or has lost its paint
Options
Types and options for soil-line termite treatment
Building with a crawl space
A crawl adds soil beneath the floor, so the technician treats under the structure through access openings as well as at the perimeter. The access points are listed in the record.
Treatment after a grade or drainage change
If the grade has been changed, the zone is measured again, because the old band may now sit in the wrong place or be covered by new fill. The work is planned from the new ground level, not the one on the earlier record.
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What is the soil treatment zone?
The zone is a band of treated soil around the foundation and under the points where termites are most likely to reach the building. Its size depends on the building, the grade and what the inspection found.
The zone is drawn for the building in front of the technician. A slab house with a narrow bed of soil against the brick needs a different band from a crawl-space house with a deep bed of mulch against its skirting. The band is measured from the wall outward and from the grade downward, and the measurements go on the sketch so the next technician can match them. A band that is correct on the day it is applied can be wrong a year later if the bed has been widened, a walkway laid or a downspout moved, which is why the sketch is kept with the building.
Where the zone cannot be applied, such as under a patio, a concrete walk or a tight planting bed, the report says so. A gap in the zone is not failure, but it is a place the owner should watch, and the technician notes which spots are the most likely to need a check.
Why does treating the soil not fix moisture?
A soil treatment deals with termites in the ground. It does not dry a wet crawl space, repair a gutter or lower the grade, so those conditions are listed in the report as separate items.
Moisture is the condition termites respond to most strongly, and it is the one a treatment cannot change. Water that runs off a roof onto the bed beside the foundation keeps the soil wet and the wood damp, whatever the zone contains. The technician describes where the water is going and what would stop it, and the owner takes the decision on the repair.
Grade is the other factor. Soil piled above the first course of brick, or a mulch bed that runs up the siding, gives termites a covered route to the wood that bypasses the zone. The report names those places so the owner can clear them, and the check visit looks at them again.
What does the owner do between visits?
Between visits the owner walks the perimeter after heavy rain, keeps soil and mulch below the first course, and reports any mud tube, any soft wood or any new damp patch to the line. Those three checks catch most of the changes that matter.
A short walk after a storm is the most useful habit a homeowner can build around a soil treatment. Look at the gutters where they meet the ground, the splash block under each downspout, the bed against the foundation and the wall at the height of the first brick course. Water standing against a wall after rain is a finding worth a call, even when nothing else is visible.
Keep a note of anything that changes. A new mud tube, a patch of paint that lifts, a door that begins to stick, a sound of wood giving under a foot: each is written down with the date and the place. The technician can use that note at the check visit, and it shortens the time spent finding the problem on site.
Our process
How our soil-line termite treatment visit works
Survey the perimeter
The technician walks the whole foundation and notes the grade, the drainage, the beds and the wood at ground level. Cracks in the foundation and any places where soil is disturbed are marked on a sketch of the building.
Set the treatment zone
The zone is the band of soil around the structure, and under the points where access is most likely. The technician states its width and depth in the plan and says which parts of the perimeter are left untreated and why, so the omission is a decision and not an oversight.
Apply in measured stages
Treatment is applied in stages, with soil moisture and the weather taken into account. The household is told when the application will happen and which areas to keep clear until the technician confirms they are dry.
Record the zone
A sketch of the zone, the application date and the product class go into the record. The record stays with the building, so a later technician can see what was done and where.
Check and review
A check visit looks at the zone, the wood at grade and any new mud tubes. Drainage and mulch changes are explained to the owner, who decides whether to have them made.
Jefferson County
Why soil-line termite treatment is different in Central Alabama
Soil-line work in Birmingham is planned lot by lot, because the grade beside the foundation and the beds against it change from one address to the next.
The same zone logic applies in Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook, but the zone is measured on each property rather than copied from a neighbor's job.
Drainage and mulch are the owner's to change. The technician says which ones are working against the building, and why.
Where we work
Soil-Line Termite Treatment across Jefferson County
- Soil Treatment in Birmingham
- Soil Treatment in Homewood
- Soil Treatment in Mountain Brook
- Soil Treatment in Vestavia Hills
- Soil Treatment in Hoover
- Soil Treatment in Tarrant
- Soil Treatment in Irondale
- Soil Treatment in Center Point
- Soil Treatment in Fultondale
- Soil Treatment in Fairfield
- Soil Treatment in Bessemer
- Soil Treatment in Pleasant Grove
- Soil Treatment in Adamsville
- Soil Treatment in Brookside
- Soil Treatment in Cardiff
- Soil Treatment in Mount Olive
- Soil Treatment in Graysville
- Soil Treatment in Leeds
- Soil Treatment in Gardendale
- Soil Treatment in Mulga
- Soil Treatment in Trussville
- Soil Treatment in Morris
- Soil Treatment in Docena
- Soil Treatment in Dolomite
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Termite Inspection and Treatment
A written termite inspection of the wood, the soil line and the foundation in Birmingham, with the treatment options explained before anything is applied.
Pre-Construction Termite Treatment
Soil and foundation protection applied while a new building is still open, with the zone and the records kept for the builder and the owner.
General Pest Control
A whole-house pest inspection in Birmingham and Jefferson County, then a treatment plan the homeowner agrees before anything is applied.
Wood-Destroying Organism Inspection for Home Sales
A written inspection for wood-destroying organisms, booked for a sale in Birmingham and Jefferson County, with a report the buyer and seller can both read.
Guides
Read before you book
Wood-Destroying Organism Inspections for a Home Sale in Birmingham
A wood-destroying organism inspection in a Birmingham home sale checks the wood for termites, wood-boring beetles and fungi, and writes down what was found and what could not be examined.
Termite Questions to Take to Alabama Cooperative Extension
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the place to ask which termite species are found in Jefferson County, when they swarm and how to read the signs of damage.
FAQ
Soil-Line Termite Treatment FAQs
Is soil treatment the same as a termite inspection?
No. The inspection finds termites and their damage. A soil treatment is one way to act on the findings, and some buildings need the inspection only. The report says which applies.
How long does the treated zone last?
The technician explains the expected life of the zone and the checks that show when it needs attention. No figure is promised on this page, because it depends on the product, the soil and the building.
Will I have to leave the house during the work?
Usually not. The household is told which rooms and outdoor areas to keep clear, and for how long, before the work starts.
Can I add soil or mulch after a treatment?
Ask first. Adding soil or mulch against the foundation can change both the zone and the moisture, so the technician explains what can go where, and how high.