The short version
Most termite problems in Hollywood 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 Hollywood, 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 Hollywood stay mild, with average lows near 59°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.
- 1Dry hexagonal pellets under window frames or eaves.
- 2Layered, honeycombed wood packed with soil.
- 3Wood that sounds hollow when tapped.
- 4Discarded wings caught in spider webs.
- 5Sagging or spongy floors near exterior walls.
- 6Small kick-out holes in exposed wood.
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.
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Termite activity through the year in Hollywood
Spring
swarm season. For Hollywood homes, expect it from February through April. Check windowsills and light fixtures for wings.
Summer
with highs around 90°F in Hollywood, termites follow moisture, so watch AC drain lines, sprinkler zones and hose bibs.
Fall
with about 62 inches of rain a year in Hollywood, make sure gutters and downspouts carry water well away from the foundation.
Winter
a good time to book an inspection in Hollywood, before swarm season starts.
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
Bait Station System with Monitoring
$1,500–$3,500 install, plus $300–$500 per year
Each station holds cellulose bait laced with a chitin synthesis inhibitor. Workers around a Hollywood home share it, cannot molt, and the colony dies over weeks to months.
- Time
- 2–4 hours to install; checked quarterly
- Best for
- Colony elimination, wells and slabs, homes near water
Liquid Soil Termiticide Barrier
$1,200–$3,500 (often $3–$16 per linear foot)
A soil barrier stops termites from reaching wood through the ground. For most Hollywood homes with active subterranean termites, this is the fastest way to end feeding.
- Time
- Half a day to a full day
- Best for
- Active subterranean termites; fast knockdown around the foundation
Annual Renewal and Monitoring
$150–$400 per year
Termites do not stop foraging after a treatment, so monitoring matters. Yearly visits to a Hollywood 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.
Drywood termites can fly straight into attic framing through vents, so attics belong on the inspection list in warm climates.How treatment works on a typical Hollywood home.
Bait stations are the other main option. They're spaced every 10 to 20 feet. Termites carry the bait back to the colony. The stations are checked on a schedule, often every few months. For Hollywood homes, on a slab, the crew treats the soil along the outside walls. Under patios and garage floors, they drill small holes. Treatment goes in through the holes, which get patched afterward.
Which termites live around Hollywood.
They arrived through Gulf Coast ports. Their colonies are much bigger than native ones. They can do more damage, faster. Drywood termites are common around Hollywood as well, flying straight into attic framing, eaves and furniture without any soil contact. Look for tiny piles of pellets that look like coarse sand. The termite you're most likely to meet in Hollywood is the eastern subterranean termite. It nests in soil and builds mud tubes to reach wood. It needs steady moisture. Formosan termites are established in Florida too.
Subterranean termites don't stop in winter; they just go deeper. A quiet season is a good time for a non-urgent inspection.When termites swarm here.
Drywood termites swarm on spring and summer evenings, often near lights. A swarm outside means a colony is nearby. A swarm inside usually means it's in the house. Save a few in a bag, or snap a clear photo. Swarm season is when termites show themselves. For Hollywood homes, eastern subterranean termites usually swarm from February through April, typically on a warm, sunny day after rain. Formosan termites in Florida swarm later, from late April into June. Look for them on warm, humid evenings around porch lights.
Where to look around your house.
Outside, watch for mud tubes behind shrubs. Keep soil and mulch below the slab edge. The same advice applies across the area, from Hollywood out to Fort Lauderdale and Miami Gardens. Many homes in Hollywood sit on concrete slabs, so termites come up through expansion joints, plumbing gaps and settlement cracks. Check the garage edges and behind baseboards. Look where pipes come through the floor.
A year of termites in Hollywood.
- Fall: with about 62 inches of rain a year in Hollywood, make sure gutters and downspouts carry water well away from the foundation. - Summer: with highs around 90°F in Hollywood, termites follow moisture, so watch AC drain lines, sprinkler zones and hose bibs. - Spring: swarm season. For Hollywood homes, expect it from February through April. Check windowsills and light fixtures for wings. - Winter: a good time to book an inspection in Hollywood, before swarm season starts.
What happens at an inspection.
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. 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.
Termites or ants?
- Waist: termites are thick through the middle. Ants are pinched. - Antennae: termite antennae are straight. Ant antennae bend like an elbow. - Debris: termites leave mud. Carpenter ants leave sawdust. - Tunnels: termite galleries are packed with mud. Ant tunnels are clean and smooth. - Wings: termite wings are all the same length. Ant wings aren’t.
Getting ready for treatment day.
Mark sprinkler heads and any buried lines. Move stored boxes away from garage walls. Clear a path along the outside walls. Soil treatments and bait stations need little prep. Any drill holes in a slab or patio get patched. Ask how long to stay off treated soil. Keep pets and kids inside while the crew works outside.
Mulch and termites.
A dry strip along the house lets you spot mud tubes. Keep mulch thin and pull it back from the foundation. Wood chips right against siding hold moisture termites like.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- What product or system will you use? - Is the whole foundation treated, or just one spot? - What does the warranty cover, and for how long? - What does the yearly renewal cost? - What do I need to do before and after treatment? - Which termites did you find, and where?
What affects the price
- Number of bait stations required.
- Attached garages, decks, and additions.
- Time of year and how booked up local companies are.
- Slab, crawl space, or basement construction.
- Cubic footage under the tent for fumigation.
- Annual renewal and monitoring fees.
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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 Hollywood
A typical home in Hollywood is worth around $450k, which puts a few hundred dollars for an inspection and prevention in perspective. With summer highs around 90°F, Hollywood's tropical climate decides when local termites are busiest. An annual inspection is common sense here. Florida is one of the most termite-active states in the country. Hollywood gets about 62 inches of rain a year, and average humidity sits near 74%, so the soil around foundations rarely dries out.
Local research
Termites in Hollywood, FL: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which termites actually live in Florida, when they are busiest around Hollywood, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Termite species established in Florida
Florida has more structural termite species than any other state, so identification drives the treatment choice.
UF/IFAS ExtensionInvasive termite species in Florida
The invasive Formosan and Asian subterranean termites and the West Indian drywood termite are the ones most likely to be in a home.
UF/IFAS ExtensionFormosan termite peak swarm month in Florida
Evening swarms around lights in May are the most common way Florida homeowners discover Formosan colonies.
UF/IFAS ExtensionTermite species recorded in Florida
- 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…
- Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi) — UF/IFAS: 'is currently restricted to southern Florida'; one of six invasive termite species among 20 established in Florida. FDACS lists it as primarily South Florida only.
- West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) — UF/IFAS lists it among the major structural pest species accounting for roughly 65% of Florida termite reports. Clemson records the 'powderpost' drywood termite in seven South C…
When termites are busiest around Hollywood
Formosan swarms early April–late June shortly after sunset, peaking in May (UF/IFAS); FDACS gives evenings April–July. Asian subterranean swarms have been recorded in March. Drywood swarmers fly in daytime in summer and fall.
UF/IFAS: Formosan is 'distributed throughout the state, primarily in urban areas with high population density'; Asian subterranean 'is currently restricted to southern Florida'. FDACS recommends annual inspections by licensed pest control professionals and notes termites 'can use cracks the thickness of a credit card to invade'.
Rules that apply in Florida
Sources: Termite Species Distribution in Florida and UF Termite Identification Services (IN1360); UF/IFAS Extension; 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
- Install a vapor barrier over crawl space soil.
- Store firewood well away from the house, off the ground.
- Keep mulch at least a foot from the foundation.
- Caulk gaps around plumbing and utility penetrations.
- Grade soil to slope away from the foundation.
- Keep gutters clean so water does not pool.
A liquid soil treatment goes into a trench along the foundation so termites cross it on their way to the house.Did you know?
For Hollywood homes, soldier termites can't feed themselves, so the workers feed them mouth to mouth.
Questions people ask
Does fumigation kill subterranean termites too?
It doesn't reach a colony living in the soil. Tenting clears termites inside the house. Not reliably.
Will termites come back after treatment?
That's what yearly inspections and renewal plans are for. Treatments wear down and new colonies move in. They can.
Do I need a termite inspection when buying a house?
Ask your agent when it's due. Either way, it's cheap peace of mind. Many lenders ask for a wood-destroying insect (WDI) report. Usually, yes.
Is termite treatment safe for kids and pets?
Ask for the label and follow any re-entry times. Bait stations are locked and buried. Soil treatments stay in the ground. Used according to the label, yes.
For Hollywood homes, can a pest control company do a termite inspection for a home sale?
For Hollywood homes, termites are best caught early through inspection, because the damage is hidden inside wood until it is far along. For Hollywood homes, 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 Florida?
Around Hollywood, the usual culprit is the eastern subterranean termite.
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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