Termites don't announce themselves until the colony is already established. In most Mandeville homes the first real sign is a swarm — a sudden flight of winged insects on a warm, still evening in spring, usually near a porch light or a window, followed by a scatter of shed wings on the sill the next morning. If that's what you're looking at, call before the evidence disappears. The second most common sign is a mud tube: a pencil-wide, dirt-coloured ridge running up a pier, a slab edge, or the inside of a garage wall. Softer clues include trim that sounds hollow when tapped, paint that bubbles in a line rather than a patch, a door frame that suddenly sticks, or a sagging spot in a bathroom floor where a leak has kept the wood damp for years.
The inspection comes first and it decides everything else. That means walking the perimeter, checking piers and sills, looking at bath traps and plumbing penetrations, getting into the crawlspace or attic where there is one, and sketching the structure so the treatment covers every foot of it. On a slab home, a liquid termiticide treatment means trenching a narrow channel against the foundation, rodding product into the soil, and drilling through any concrete that abuts the house — attached patios, driveways, garage floors, porch slabs — so the chemical barrier isn't broken where the soil can't be reached. Holes are plugged afterwards. On a pier-and-beam house, more of the work happens underneath, around each pier and along the perimeter wall. Bait systems take a different route: stations set in the soil around the house, checked and replenished on a schedule, with the colony eliminated over time rather than in a day. Both approaches work. Which suits your property depends on soil, drainage, hardscape, and whether you want a one-visit job or an ongoing programme.
Linear footage of foundation is the baseline. After that, the drivers are concrete — every foot of attached slab that has to be drilled adds time — plus crawlspace access, the number of plumbing penetrations and bath traps, and whether there's a carton nest or active damage inside a wall that needs void treatment through drilled holes. Dense foundation planting, decking, and additions built over old slabs all slow the job down. Palus Property Defense provides free estimates, so get the structure measured and looked at before you compare numbers; a quote given over the phone without a walk-around is a guess.
Ask what product is going down and at what rate, how many gallons the structure calls for, and whether you'll get a diagram of what was treated. Ask who patches the drill holes. Ask what happens to the treated zone if you later add a flower bed, a patio, or French drains — breaking that barrier is one of the most common ways a good treatment fails. If a bait system is proposed, ask how often stations are serviced and what that costs going forward. If you're selling, ask what documentation you'll need for the wood-destroying insect report.
Plan for several hours and for access to the full perimeter. Move stored items away from interior garage and closet walls, unlock gates, and keep pets indoors while trenching and drilling are underway. Palus Property Defense is licensed and insured, works with licensed contractors, backs the work with a satisfaction guarantee, takes several payment methods, and can often get out same day. Phone calls only, Monday to Friday, 8AM to 6PM — covering Mandeville, Madisonville, Abita Springs and Baker.