Termites

- Mud tubes running up foundation walls or piers. - Discarded translucent wings near windowsills or light fixtures after spring swarms. - Wood that sounds hollow when tapped or that flakes/buckles under paint. - Soft or crumbling floor joists and swollen baseboards in damp crawlspaces.

Perimeter liquid barrier or in-ground bait-station system; annual monitoring and re-inspection by licensed pest professional. Licensed treatments in Asheville typically use a perimeter liquid barrier or a monitored in-ground bait system plus annual inspections; Bench 359 recommends combining treatment with moisture correction and a termite bond for long-term protection.

• Keep firewood and lumber piles at least 20 feet from the foundation and off the ground.
• Fix leaky faucets, gutters, and downspouts — termites require constant moisture.
• Eliminate wood-to-soil contact on decks, fence posts, and siding.
• Remove excess mulch, leaf litter, and cellulose debris from foundation beds.
• Schedule a professional inspection every 1–2 years, especially for homes over 10 years old.
• Keep firewood and lumber stacked off the ground and at least 20 feet from the house—important on creekside lots and wooded properties.
• Repair clogged gutters, downspouts and leaking exterior plumbing to reduce crawlspace moisture.
• Eliminate wood-to-soil contact on decks, steps and siding; inspect stone retaining walls and piers for concealed wood.
• Reduce excess mulch and leaf litter against foundation beds common on Asheville hillsides.
• Schedule a professional WDO inspection every 1–2 years, especially for homes over 10 years old or in historic neighborhoods near Biltmore and Grove Park.

Wood in contact with soil; crawlspaces, mud tubes on foundations, damp wall voids. Colony size ranges from 60,000 to 1 million workers.

Eastern subterranean termites are a common and costly problem in Asheville, especially in older Craftsman and Victorian homes, creekside properties and houses with wood-to-soil contact.