Do Termites Stop in Winter? What Midland and Odessa Homeowners Should Know
A lot of folks in Midland and Odessa figure termites take the winter off once the nights get cold. They don't. The termites that do the damage out here live in the soil, and when the top few inches cool down they work deeper and stay close to the warmth under your slab. Your house is the warmest, wettest spot on the lot, so that is where they keep feeding.
Local tip: a winter termite walk-around
Pick a mild afternoon and spend ten minutes on these spots:
Baseboards and door frames. Look for bubbled paint, soft or hollow-sounding trim, and small dirt-like specks along the floor line, especially on outside walls.
Bathrooms and kitchens. Plumbing comes up through the slab here, and those openings are easy entry points. Check under sinks and around the tub access panel for mud or damp wood.
Garage slab and expansion joints. Thin mud lines climbing the wall or coming out of a crack in the floor are a strong sign of termite activity.
Outside where the slab meets the dirt. Rock, mulch or soil piled over the foundation edge hides mud tubes. Pull it back so you can see a few inches of concrete.
Leaks and drips. A dripping faucet, AC condensate line or sprinkler head that keeps the foundation wet all winter is exactly what termites look for.
Why it matters now
Winter is when termite damage stays the most hidden. Nobody is outside working in the yard, swarmers aren't flying yet, and the termites are tucked under the house where you can't see them. By the time spring warms things up and swarmers show up in a window or along a baseboard, a colony may have been feeding through the winter. Finding activity now gives you time to deal with it before spring instead of after.
Heated homes with slabs, older wood fences, and houses with sprinklers running close to the foundation are all common setups around Midland and Odessa, and all of them can keep termites comfortable through the cold months.
What Tejas does
Our licensed technicians inspect the foundation line inside and out, the garage, plumbing penetrations and the areas you point out. If we find termite activity or conditions that invite it, we walk you through what we saw and recommend a plan, which can include a soil treatment around the foundation. We'll also point out moisture and wood-to-ground contact you can fix yourself.
Learn more at https://www.tejaspwc.com/termites. Midland and Odessa customers can also see our Midland pest control and Odessa pest control pages.
Call or text Tejas
Call or text 432-934-5248 to set up a winter termite inspection in Midland, Odessa or nearby towns.
Tejas Pest and Weed Control · Midland yard: 3112 E County Rd 139, Midland, TX 79706 · 432-934-5248 · office@tejaspwc.com
