Answer-first
The DIY termite walk is twelve stops, twenty minutes, once a year — every spring after the first warm rain. Walk the exterior perimeter looking for mud tubes on the foundation. Check window sills for translucent wings. Tap baseboards and door frames listening for hollow. Inspect the crawlspace or slab edge. Look at the attic joists near the roof line.
When this applies to your East Texas home
- You've never had a professional termite inspection or your last one was over 12 months ago
- You bought the home more than a year ago and haven't checked
- You've had a wet spring or storm season — active swarmer conditions
- A neighbor found termites — colonies spread within a 30-foot radius
- Your home has a slab-on-grade foundation (common in East Texas) — highest risk profile
- Wood mulch touches the siding or brick line
Failure modes we see in the field
- Only checking the inside: mud tubes on the outside foundation are the earliest visible sign — miss them and you miss the 6-month early warning
- Not knowing what a mud tube looks like: pencil-width, brown, runs vertically on foundation or piers. You can see one and dismiss it if you're not looking for it
- Missing the crawlspace: joists, sill plates and rim boards in the crawlspace are the #1 location for hidden damage in East Texas homes
- Skipping the attic: swarmers exit through attic joists in poorly-sealed homes
What actually works — the proof
Twenty minutes a year of DIY inspection catches roughly 60% of active termite cases before major damage. A professional inspection catches the other 40% — the ones behind drywall, in wall voids and inside slab expansion joints. Best practice: annual DIY walk in April, professional inspection every 12 months.
Your next step
Do the walk this month, then book a free professional inspection. Our tech identifies things a DIY walk misses — hidden mud tubes behind AC units, activity in the sill plate under a bay window, swarmer exit points in a wall void. Free, no pressure.
Reviewed by the field team
The Spot On Team · Spot On Pest Control
Family-owned in Lufkin, TX · Texas SPCS Business License #License #805260072 · Serving the East Texas Piney Woods since Pawpaw's day.
Frequently asked
What time of year is best for a termite inspection?
April is ideal — East Texas swarmer season peaks after the first warm spring rain. Inspecting in April maximizes the chance of catching either an active infestation OR the visible swarmer evidence that confirms one. Second-best window: after any wet weather event May–October.
