Termite inspection in Highlands — the elevation that protects you from flooding does nothing to protect you from the termite colonies in your trees.

The Highlands canopy is the inspection priority

The standard Pompano Beach termite inspection is structured around the house: slab perimeter, attic, baseboards, fascia, eaves. That structure works fine for inland neighborhoods where the trees on the lot are young, sparse, or species that don’t carry Formosan termite risk. Highlands inspections cannot use that structure because the operative termite exposure in this neighborhood lives in the tree canopy, not in the framing. The ridge elevation that defines Highlands also defines its botanical character: well-drained higher ground favored 1960s and 70s landscape developers planting live oak (Quercus virginiana), strangler fig and weeping fig (Ficus aurea and F. benjamina), West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), and royal palm (Roystonea regia). Those exact tree species, planted in the 1960s-1970s, are now 55-65 years old — the age range at which UF/IFAS Broward County researchers have documented Formosan termite (Coptotermes formosanus) colonies most frequently.

The biology is simple: Formosan colonies establish primary nests in living tree trunks and root systems. From those primary nests, they extend foraging galleries through the soil to nearby food sources — which in Highlands means single-family homes built within 30 feet of the host tree. Secondary above-ground colonies establish in adjacent wall voids wherever persistent moisture is present (irrigation overspray near the slab, condensation drip under AC condenser pads, slow plumbing leaks). The tree-base probe is the diagnostic that catches the colony at its source. A positive probe immediately upgrades the recommended treatment from a simple Sentricon® preventive perimeter to the combination protocol (Sentricon® + Termidor® HE liquid barrier). A negative probe across all trees lets us recommend a less expensive preventive perimeter with confidence, knowing the highest-cost risk vector has been ruled out.

Highlands housing stock — what the inspector encounters

Highlands is a long-established single-family residential neighborhood characterized by slightly elevated topography, larger lots than the typical Pompano Beach mid-century plat, and a mature tree canopy that gives every block a distinct character. Construction era spans the late 1950s through the 1980s with steady infill since. The original 1960s and 70s housing stock is predominantly ranch-style and split-level CBS construction with wood roof framing — concrete tile, asphalt-shingle, and original mid-century flat-tile roofing systems all coexist within a few blocks of each other. Lots typically measure 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, allowing for 3-7 mature trees per property, which means every Highlands inspection includes meaningful tree-base probing.

What the FDACS-13645 report typically shows for Highlands

Section A (active activity) most often lists either tree-borne Formosan activity confirmed by a positive base probe, or native Eastern subterranean (Reticulitermes flavipes) activity on the slab perimeter, or both. The “both” finding is more common in Highlands than in any other Pompano neighborhood we inspect — the mature canopy supports Formosan colonies, and the irrigated landscape against the slab supports native subterranean foraging, so the two species coexist on roughly one in three Highlands properties. Section B (previous activity) often shows older drywood activity from the pre-1980 wood-frame stock or older Sentricon® feeding sites from prior preventive contracts. Section C (damage) is usually pre-structural for the tree-base findings and ranges from cosmetic to structural for the slab-perimeter findings depending on infestation duration. Section D (prior treatment) is variable — Highlands ownership profile includes both long-tenure family ownership (incomplete records) and recent buyers (clean documentation). Section E (obstructed areas) routinely lists screened-lanai concrete, custom-installed wood flooring, and any wall voids closed during 1990s or 2000s renovations.

Local landmarks near Highlands

Highlands sits on the inland ridge between Pompano Beach’s coastal corridor and the western residential zones. Within Tier 2 next-day inspection range you’ll find Cresthaven immediately to the north, Loch Lomond and Pine Tree Park on the eastern boundary, Leisureville to the south, and Palm Aire further northwest. The Pompano Beach Cultural Center is roughly two miles east on the inland flat, and Indian Mound Park sits within walking distance of the southern Highlands streets.

Who calls us for a Highlands inspection

Three caller profiles dominate the queue. Long-tenure single-family owners who have lived under the Highlands canopy for decades and recently read a news report on Formosan termites — these inspections often catch primary tree-borne Formosan activity before any structural carton material has developed. Real-estate buyers under contract on Highlands single-family homes need the FDACS-13645 report for lender underwriting; the elevated mature-canopy risk profile means many lenders require additional documentation of tree-base probe results before clearing the inspection contingency. Tree-aware homeowners who specifically noticed wet-looking soil at the base of a mature tree, an unusual amount of frass under a ficus, or hollow-sounding bark on a live oak — these self-diagnosed calls account for a meaningful share of confirmed Formosan findings.

Pricing — Highlands inspections

Adjacent Highlands-area inspection coverage

The mature-canopy neighborhoods adjacent to Highlands share the same tree-borne Formosan risk profile and the same inspection-with-tree-probing protocol. Adjacent coverage includes Cresthaven, Loch Lomond, Pine Tree Park, Palm Aire, and Leisureville. All Tier 1 or Tier 2 response, all FDACS-13645 documented, all with mandatory tree-base probe on every mature live oak, ficus, mahogany, and royal palm within 30 feet of the inspected structure.