Termite control in Cresthaven — 60-year-old live-oak canopy meets 60-year-old slab construction.

About this neighborhood

Cresthaven was developed in the late 1950s and 1960s as a working- and middle-class single-family neighborhood — straight street grid, modest lot sizes, CBS construction with wood roof systems. Most homes are between 1,200 and 1,800 square feet, slab-on-grade, with original wood roof framing and original wood window sash on a majority of properties.

The trees are the key. Cresthaven’s live-oak canopy is over six decades old and was never cleared for redevelopment. Mature trees on virtually every block host established subterranean colonies — and a meaningful fraction of those trees are confirmed Formosan hosts. UF/IFAS Broward sampling has documented Formosan activity in older Cresthaven trees on multiple occasions.

Termite risk profile

• Subterranean — very high. Mature tree canopy + irrigated lawns + original slab construction without pre-construction soil treatment = continuous subterranean pressure.
• Formosan — high. Multiple Cresthaven live-oaks have tested positive for Formosan. Adjacent structures show carton material in wall voids in documented cases.
• Drywood — moderate. Original wood roof framing harbors drywood activity in the older sections, particularly homes never tented since the 1980s.

What to look for in a Cresthaven home

The first thing we inspect in any Cresthaven property is the base of the largest tree within 30 feet of the house. If it thuds hollow or shows wet-looking soil at the root flare, the conversation pivots from “preventive perimeter” to “active Formosan combination protocol.” Second inspection point: the slab perimeter facing the tree side of the property. Third: the attic, where original roof framing carries drywood gallery risk.