The short version
Most termite problems in Houma are eastern subterranean termites, and the usual fix is a liquid soil treatment or bait stations. Drywood termites need fumigation or wood treatment instead. Start with an inspection; $75–$250 is typical.
- Look for mud tubes, shed wings and hollow-sounding wood.
- Swarms usually show up from February through April.
- Drywood termites need wood treatment or fumigation instead.
- An inspection typically costs $75–$250.
- Insurance usually doesn’t cover termite damage.
Homeowners, landlords and anyone buying or selling a house in Houma, whether you've spotted something or just want to know what to watch for.
What to look for
Termites work quietly. A colony can feed inside a wall for years. Winters around Houma stay mild, with average lows near 45°F, so colonies keep feeding all year. Spongy floors or bubbling paint usually mean long-running damage. So it's worth an inspection, even for one or two signs.
- 1Sagging or spongy floors near exterior walls.
- 2Termite tubes hanging down from ceilings or joists.
- 3Doors and windows that suddenly stick.
- 4Wood that sounds hollow when tapped.
- 5Piles of identical shed wings on windowsills.
- 6Dry hexagonal pellets under window frames or eaves.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Colonies grow and spread every year they go untreated.
- Damage hides behind drywall, flooring and trim.
- Homeowners insurance usually doesn’t cover termite damage.
- An active infestation can complicate a home sale.
- Formosan colonies are large and can do serious damage quickly.
Treatment options and typical costs
Termite Inspection and WDI Report
$75–$250
The inspector checks the foundation, garage, attic and damp spots. Bring up anything you’ve noticed.
- Time
- 60–120 minutes
- Best for
- Every job, real estate closings, and yearly peace of mind
Fumigation for Drywood Termites
$1,200–$4,000 (often $1–$4 per square foot)
Fumigation does not treat subterranean termites living in the soil. A Houma home with both species may need a soil barrier as well as the tent.
- Time
- 2–3 days including tenting and aeration
- Best for
- Widespread drywood termites throughout a structure
Localized Wood, Foam, and Borate Treatment
$250–$1,500
When termites are limited to one wall or window frame, a technician can treat that wood directly; drywood termites, common around Houma, often show up exactly this way. Foam expands into voids, and borate soaks into bare lumber.
- Time
- 1–3 hours
- Best for
- Small drywood spots, wall voids, and exposed framing
Annual Renewal and Monitoring
$150–$400 per year
Termites do not stop foraging after a treatment, so monitoring matters. Yearly visits to a Houma home catch new tubes before they reach framing.
- Time
- 30–60 minutes per visit
- Best for
- Keeping a treated home protected after the initial job
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
In a basement, the wooden sill plate on top of the block wall is the first piece of wood termites reach.Which termites live around Houma.
Look for tiny piles of hard, sand-like pellets. Drywood termites turn up now and then, mostly in older wood. They can do more damage, faster. Their colonies are much bigger than native ones. They arrived through Gulf Coast ports. Formosan termites are established in Louisiana too. It needs steady moisture. It nests in soil and builds mud tubes to reach wood. The termite you're most likely to meet in Houma is the eastern subterranean termite.
Local termites conditions in Houma.
A provider who works Houma and Louisiana every day can point out the specific conditions that matter most here, and getting the scope, price, and follow-up terms in writing makes it easier to compare options. Knowing Houma's seasonal timing lets you schedule treatment before the busy stretch rather than after it, which usually means faster service and a more accurate quote. An inspection in Houma usually starts outside and works inward, checking the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and any moisture or clutter near the structure first. Around Houma, the area is mostly suburban, so termites pressure can differ from one block to the next depending on how tight the entry points are and how much food, water, or shelter is close by. Houma sits in a humid subtropical climate, and that sets the pace for termite activity here: spring swarm season (March-May), warmer earlier in the south.
Sealing the gap where pipes enter the house takes away one of the easiest routes in. It won't replace treatment, but it helps.When termites swarm here.
Save a few in a bag, or snap a clear photo. A swarm inside usually means it's in the house. A swarm outside means a colony is nearby. Drywood termites swarm on spring and summer evenings, often near lights. Look for them on warm, humid evenings around porch lights. Formosan termites in Louisiana swarm later, from late April into June. Around Houma, eastern subterranean termites usually swarm from February through April, typically on a warm, sunny day after rain. Swarm season is when termites show themselves.
Where to look around your house.
The same advice applies across the area, from Houma out to Kenner. Keep soil and mulch below the slab edge. Outside, watch for mud tubes behind shrubs. Look where pipes come through the floor. Check the garage edges and behind baseboards. Many homes in Houma sit on concrete slabs, so termites come up through expansion joints, plumbing gaps and settlement cracks.
A year of termites in Houma.
- Winter: a good time to book an inspection in Houma, before swarm season starts. - Fall: with about 65 inches of rain a year in Houma, make sure gutters and downspouts carry water well away from the foundation. - Summer: with highs around 92°F in Houma, termites follow moisture, so watch AC drain lines, sprinkler zones and hose bibs. - Spring: swarm season. Around Houma, expect it from February through April. Check windowsills and light fixtures for wings.
What happens at an inspection.
Photos help. Afterward, ask them to show you what they found. A moisture meter and a probe help them find hidden activity. On a slab, they focus on joints, cracks and pipe gaps. Inside, they check the garage, baseboards, plumbing gaps and the attic. They check the foundation, the soil line and nearby wood. The inspector walks the outside of the house first. Most inspections take an hour or two.
Termites or ants?
- Tunnels: termite galleries are packed with mud. Ant tunnels are clean and smooth. - Debris: termites leave mud. Carpenter ants leave sawdust. - Antennae: termite antennae are straight. Ant antennae bend like an elbow. - Waist: termites are thick through the middle. Ants are pinched. - Wings: termite wings are all the same length. Ant wings aren’t.
Getting ready for treatment day.
Drill holes in slabs or patios get patched afterward. Keep kids and pets inside while the Houma crew applies the product, and ask how long to stay off treated soil. In Louisiana, formosan swarms in the Gulf South occur in evenings from April to July (FDACS); native Reticulitermes swarm in late winter and spring (UGA). Flag sprinkler heads and buried lines. Move boxes away from garage walls. Clear a walking path along the exterior walls. Prep is light for liquid treatments and bait stations.
Mulch and termites.
Wood chips touching the siding trap the moisture termites are after. A dry gap along the house makes mud tubes easier to spot, and with roughly 65 inches of rain a year in Houma, keeping that strip dry takes real grading and gutter work. Pull mulch back from the foundation and keep the layer thin.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- What do I need to do before and after treatment? - What does the yearly renewal cost? - What does the warranty cover, and for how long? - Is the whole foundation treated, or just one spot? - What product or system will you use? - Which termites did you find, and where?
What affects the price
- Time of year and how booked up local companies are.
- Local labor rates and licensing requirements.
- Warranty type: retreatment only or damage repair.
- Species: subterranean, drywood, or Formosan.
- Attached garages, decks, and additions.
- Slab, crawl space, or basement construction.
📊
What's your biggest concern about termites?
When to call for help
Lenders often ask for one. It's also the cheapest termite service. Carpenter ants leave clean tunnels and sawdust. Termites leave mud. Call if you see mud tubes, pellets or an indoor swarm. Hollow-sounding wood is another clue. Buying or selling? Get a wood-destroying insect (WDI) report either way.
What you can do yourself
Some of the work is yours. Pull mulch back from the foundation. Fix leaks and clear gutters. Keep firewood away from the house. Treating an active colony is harder. The product has to reach the whole colony. It also needs even coverage around the entire foundation. Store-bought sprays usually kill only the termites you see.
Termites in Houma
Houma gets about 65 inches of rain a year, and average humidity sits near 77%, so the soil around foundations rarely dries out. Louisiana is one of the most termite-active states in the country. An annual inspection is common sense here. With summer highs around 92°F, Houma's humid subtropical climate decides when local termites are busiest. A typical home in Houma is worth around $185k, which puts a few hundred dollars for an inspection and prevention in perspective.
Local research
Termites in Houma, LA: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which termites actually live in Louisiana, when they are busiest around Houma, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Termite species recorded in Louisiana
- Eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) — UGA calls it 'the most widely distributed subterranean termite, and it is the most common termite found in the eastern United States'; it swarms February through April in Georgi…
- Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) — FDACS lists it in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, California and Hawaii. Colonies contain…
When termites are busiest around Houma
Formosan swarms in the Gulf South occur in evenings from April to July (FDACS); native Reticulitermes swarm in late winter and spring (UGA).
FDACS and UGA both list Louisiana among states where the Formosan subterranean termite is established. (LSU AgCenter pages could not be fetched this session; Louisiana-specific figures are not recorded.)
Sources: Biology of Subterranean Termites in the Eastern United States (B1209); University of Missouri Extension; Formosan Termite Program. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep termites away
- Grade soil to slope away from the foundation.
- Install a vapor barrier over crawl space soil.
- Keep six inches between soil and siding or wood.
- Trim shrubs so foundation walls stay visible and dry.
- Keep the termite renewal contract current after treatment.
Compare quotes line by line: the areas treated, the product, the warranty and the renewal fee. The lowest total isn't always the best deal.Did you know?
Around Houma, some tropical termites grow fungus gardens inside the nest and eat the harvest.
Some African termite mounds stand more than 25 feet tall.
Questions people ask
How do I know if I have termites or flying ants?
Check the wings and the waist. Termite wings are all the same length. Ants have a pinched waist; termites don't. Save one in a bag for the inspector.
Is termite treatment safe for kids and pets?
Used according to the label, yes. Soil treatments stay in the ground. Bait stations are locked and buried. Ask for the label and follow any re-entry times.
Does fumigation kill subterranean termites too?
Not reliably. Tenting clears termites inside the house. It doesn't reach a colony living in the soil.
How long do termite bait stations take to work?
Usually several weeks to a few months. Termites have to find the stations first. Then the bait spreads through the colony.
How do I choose a termite company?
Make sure they're licensed in Louisiana. Ask which termites they found and what product they'll use. Ask what the warranty covers. Compare the proposals, not just the totals.
Can I pay for termite monitoring without a full treatment?
Around Houma, termites are best caught early through inspection, because the damage is hidden inside wood until it is far along. Around Houma, a professional inspection looks for mud tubes, damaged wood, and swarming activity, and treatment targets the soil and the colony rather than just the visible wood.
Are termites common in Louisiana?
Around Houma, the usual culprit is the eastern subterranean termite.
Nearby cities
Related guides
Sources (10)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Termite Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides