Subterranean Termites and DFW Clay Soil Risk

The clay that makes North Texas foundations move is also what makes homes a termite target. Here is how Blackland clay drives subterranean termite risk around Cedar Hill and what protects a home.

Why clay and termites go together

Subterranean termites need moisture, wood, and soil contact, and Blackland clay supplies the moisture in abundance. It holds water deep in the profile even through dry spells, keeping colonies active year-round, and it swells and shrinks enough to open the hairline cracks in slabs and around plumbing that termites use to reach wood. A typical lot puts soil right against the foundation, completing the path. Background on termite biology is available from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

The signs around a North Texas home

Watch for pencil-width mud tubes on the foundation, in the garage, or in a crawl space; discarded wings on windowsills after a warm spring rain; wood that sounds hollow; and doors or floors that suddenly stick. Because most damage happens out of sight, the safe response to any of these is an inspection rather than waiting for the next swarm. Our termite control page covers what an inspection looks at.

How treatment protects the home

The standard defense for North Texas clay is a liquid termiticide soil barrier around and under the foundation, creating a treated zone the colony cannot cross without carrying the product back. Bait monitoring can be added around the property. Managing moisture at the perimeter, fixing leaks and irrigation overspray and keeping soil and mulch off the siding, eases both termite pressure and the slab movement clay causes.