Termite Control in Longs, SC
Longs is our home base — we run out of our shop on Hwy 9 — and it's ground zero for the county's fastest new construction. A new build isn't termite-proof. Trelona bait stations installed by a Clemson Master Termite Technician, backed by $1,000,000 in warranty coverage with a $0 deductible, subject to a qualifying inspection.
No cost, no obligation — by a licensed technician.
Longs is where we're based, out of our shop on Hwy 9 — so we've watched these subdivisions go up, and we can tell you the most dangerous myth around here: that a brand-new house doesn't get termites.
It does. A new build in Longs goes up on freshly graded soil that was, a season earlier, a stand of pine and hardwood full of established subterranean colonies. Grading disturbs those colonies but doesn't remove them — it just moves the wood-eating population next to your foundation and mixes buried construction scrap, form boards and grade stakes into the fill for them to feed on. The builder's pretreatment is a snapshot in time with a limited term, and the wooded lot lines that make these neighborhoods attractive are also a permanent colony reservoir right at your property edge. That's why we recommend a free inspection here specifically, even — especially — on a house that's only a few years old.
Tony is a Master Termite Technician
That's an advanced certification from Clemson University's Department of Pesticide Regulation — a two-day program for already-experienced termite technicians, with classroom work plus hands-on fieldwork at a house foundation, and both a practical and written exam at the end.
On a new Longs build, that experience is the difference between someone who assumes the pretreatment has it handled and someone who reads the graded fill, the slab line and the tree-line pressure and tells you what the colonies at your lot edge are actually doing.
Why new construction in Longs still gets termites
- Freshly graded soil was recently woods — the colonies that lived there are disturbed by grading, not eliminated by it.
- Wooded lot lines ringing the newer subdivisions are a permanent reservoir of mature colonies foraging toward the nearest foundation: yours.
- Buried construction debris — form boards, grade stakes, scrap lumber left in the fill — is free food that draws workers straight to the house.
- Builder pretreatments expire. They protect the soil at a moment in time and carry limited, time-bound coverage — not colony elimination.
- Bigger open lots hold moisture in low spots and around fresh irrigation, keeping the soil damp where subterranean termites travel.
Eastern Subterranean and Formosan Swarms at the Tree Line
Swarming is the one time termites make themselves obvious, and on a Longs lot backing to woods it usually shows up right at the property edge.
- Eastern subterranean termites — roughly February through May, usually on warm days after rain, typically during daylight.
- Formosan termites — later, generally May into June, often at dusk and drawn to lights, including the porch and street lighting of a new subdivision.
A swarm at your tree line doesn't mean the house is infested. It means a mature colony is established right at the edge of your lot — and on graded soil, that's worth an inspection now, not after the builder warranty lapses.
How Trelona Bait Stations Work
We install Trelona ATBS stations in the soil around your structure, spaced every 10–20 feet around the exterior, set flush to the ground so disruption to your new landscape is minimal.
Each station holds bait containing novaluron, an insect growth regulator. It doesn't poison termites outright — it blocks their ability to molt, and a termite that can't form a new exoskeleton dies. Foraging workers carry the bait back and share it through trophallaxis, spreading it through the colony until the colony collapses from the inside.
That's colony elimination, not just a barrier that keeps them out while the colony thrives in the woods along your lot line. When the breeding habitat around you is a live tree line, taking out the colony that reaches your foundation is the answer that actually holds.
Why we only do bait, not liquid
A liquid barrier means trenching the full perimeter — which on a new slab home with fresh sod and irrigation you just paid for is exactly the disruption you don't want. And it protects the structure without touching the colony, which is still out there in the tree line. We don't offer liquid treatments. Bait eliminates the colony, installs with minimal disruption to new landscaping, and is monitored so new activity gets caught early.
What It Costs, Plainly
Installation
Covers the stations and the labor to install them around your structure, spaced every 10–20 feet.
$599 minimum, one-time, for installation (homes under 2,000 sq ft; larger homes may be more) when you enroll in the warranty — or $999 for install only. Assumes no active termites at the time of inspection.
Get a QuoteWarranty & Monitoring
$1,000,000 in warranty coverage with a $0 deductible, subject to your initial inspection. Includes annual inspections. 24-month agreement, then month-to-month.
Starting at $29/month on a 24-month agreement, then month-to-month. Final price confirmed after your free inspection.
Get a QuoteThe part worth reading twice
Your homeowners policy almost certainly excludes termite damage as a preventable maintenance issue — and a builder retreatment bond often pays for re-treating without paying a dime toward repairs. On graded Longs soil next to woods, that leaves the repair bill on you.
Our warranty covers up to $1,000,000 in future damage from subterranean termites, with a zero-dollar deductible for a qualified home. That's the product you're actually buying: not the stations, and not the annual visit — who pays if termites get through.
What Invites Them In on a Longs New-Build Lot
Most of it is fixable, and your technician will point it out whether or not you buy anything:
- Buried construction debris — form boards, grade stakes and scrap lumber left in the fill
- Wood-to-ground contact on new decks, porch posts, fence rails and siding close to grade
- Fresh mulch beds piled against the foundation, holding moisture right where they want it
- Grading and downspouts that drain new fill toward the foundation instead of away
- New irrigation heads spraying the foundation and keeping the soil damp
- Wooded lot lines left as a colony reservoir at the property edge
New build in Longs? Get the free inspection first.
Termite damage stays invisible until it's expensive, and a builder warranty can lull you right past the point where damage starts. A licensed technician checks the slab line, sill plates and tree-line pressure, and installs Trelona® stations only if you move forward. Even if you do nothing with the findings, you'll know exactly where you stand.
Common Questions
My house is under three years old — is it too soon to worry?
Not at all. Colonies displaced by grading forage toward the new foundation immediately, and buried scrap gives them a head start. The early years are exactly when a monitored system earns its keep.
Do I need a CL-100 letter to sell my Longs home?
Most South Carolina real estate transactions require a wood infestation report. On a newer home buyers still ask for one. Call us and we'll walk you through timing.
How often are the stations checked?
The Trelona ATBS Annual label allows for annual inspection, and that's what the warranty includes. On a heavy tree-line lot we'll check more often if activity warrants it.
Can I skip the warranty and just buy the installation?
If your home doesn't qualify for the damages warranty — or you'd rather not carry it — you can still have the bait stations installed and monitored without the $1,000,000 coverage, for a lower monthly price.
Communities we serve in Longs: Plantation Lakes, Sun Colony, Long Bay, Reserve at Long Bay, Colonial Glen, Bell's Lake, Hidden Lakes, and the newer neighborhoods filling in around them.
Nearby? See termite control in Little River and Carolina Forest, or the full pest control in Longs plan.
Free Termite Inspection in Longs
By a Master Termite Technician. Find out where you stand.
Book an Inspection