Drywood termites (Cryptotermes brevis, Incisitermes snyderi) are the single most common termite call we get in Pompano Beach — concentrated in pre-1980 wood-frame stock around Old Pompano, East Haven, the Beach corridor, and any attic with mature lumber. The most expensive question Pompano homeowners over-answer is “do I need to tent?” More than half the time the honest answer is no. Visit Pompano Termite Control for the full company background.
Drywood termites are the only major termite family in Florida that completes its full life cycle without ever touching soil. They get all the moisture they need from the dry wood they consume — extracting it metabolically as their gut microbes break down cellulose. That single biological fact rewrites every assumption you have about termite treatment.
The genus you’re most likely to encounter in a Pompano home is Cryptotermes brevis — the West Indian drywood — which establishes secondary satellite colonies from a single founding pair in any piece of seasoned wood that holds 8% moisture or higher. Once a colony is mature (3–5 years), it begins kicking out frass.
Drywood frass is the closest thing to a written confession a termite ever produces. Workers tunnel new galleries, push waste out through kick-out holes, and accumulate piles below those holes. Five things to look for:
Do not vacuum frass before the inspector arrives. Photograph it, leave it, and let us identify the species before any treatment decision is made.
XT-2000 borate dust and Termidor® foam injected directly into galleries through pinhole drillings. Each injection point treats a 12–18″ radius of framing. No tarp, no vacate, no food bagging required outside the immediate room.
Best for: localized activity, single room or single piece of furniture, accessible framing, homeowners who cannot vacate.
Honest limit: cannot reach hidden satellite colonies in inaccessible framing voids.
No-tent detailsSulfuryl fluoride (Vikane®) under tarp. Penetrates every cubic inch of wood in the structure. Eliminates 100% of drywood activity including the hidden satellite chambers that no-tent treatment can’t reach.
Best for: widespread activity (frass in 3+ rooms), hidden satellites suspected, sale-of-home certifications, multi-story or large homes.
Trade-off: 24–72 hour vacate window, prep of food and medications, cost runs $1.00–$2.00 per sq ft.
Tent detailsPinhole drilling and pressurized termiticide delivered directly into individual joists, beams, antique furniture, or carved millwork. Confined to the piece being treated. Used as a stand-alone for prized furniture or as a complement to no-tent treatment for one or two suspect structural pieces.
Wood injectionThe cheapest, smallest-footprint option. Useful only for single-room confined activity. We’ll quote it but we’ll also tell you when it is the wrong choice.
Spot treatment| Whole-house tent | No-tent injection | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | 100% of structure | Treated areas only |
| Reaches hidden satellites | Yes | No |
| Vacate window | 24–72 hours | None |
| Food & medication prep | Bag & remove | Bag exposed only |
| Cost (avg. Pompano home) | $1,500 – $3,000 | $500 – $1,800 |
| Residual protection | None | Limited (treated wood only) |
| Warranty | 1-yr retreatment | 90 days – 1 yr |
| Pet & plant prep | Remove all | Generally stay |
Active kick-out holes located, gallery extent estimated via moisture meter and probe rod.
1/8″ pilot holes drilled at 8–12″ intervals along the framing, sized to plug invisibly afterward.
Termidor® foam injected first to fill galleries; XT-2000 borate dust deposited last for long-term residual.
Drill points plugged with color-matched wood filler. Photos and treatment map saved to the warranty file.
Drywood activity correlates with mature wooden roof systems, salt-air humidity, and pre-1980 framing. Coastal corridors and historic neighborhoods dominate the call volume.
Sand-like piles of six-sided fecal pellets (frass) near baseboards, window sills, door frames, or under wooden furniture. Pinhole kick-out galleries in attic rafters or ceiling timbers. Discarded translucent wings near lamps and pool screens after spring rains. Hollow-sounding baseboards or door jambs.
Not always. Localized drywood activity (one or two accessible areas) responds well to no-tent injection with XT-2000 borate dust and Termidor® foam. Tent fumigation becomes the right call when frass is found across multiple rooms, framing voids are inaccessible, or hidden satellite colonies are suspected.
No-tent localized $500–$1,800. Whole-house tent fumigation $1.00–$2.00/sq ft ($1,500–$3,000 for most homes). Wood injection for individual beams or furniture $200–$800.
2–5 hours of on-site work depending on the number of access points. You do not vacate. Exposed food is bagged for in-home injection work but you can remain on the property the entire time.
Treated galleries stay treated. The risk is a new colony — a separate alate pair landing somewhere in the structure and starting a new gallery in untreated wood. Annual inspections catch new activity early, while it’s still no-tent treatable.
Hardware-store products kill drywood termites on contact at the point of application but do nothing to the rest of the gallery. Workers wall off the treated section and continue feeding in adjacent chambers — you still have the infestation, but in framing you can no longer see. For one-piece furniture, DIY borate spray can sometimes work; for any structural activity, professional injection or fumigation is the only reliable path.
Free inspection identifies the species, estimates the extent, and produces a written quote with both tent and no-tent options when both are viable. No upsell scripts.