Reaching Termites Where a Trench Cannot
Small drilled holes carry termiticide into block voids and under slabs and porches.
What Foundation Drilling and Injection Is and When It Is the Right Call
Subterranean termites need a path from the soil to the wood. On a house with a crawl space, that path is usually a mud tube up the outside of a pier or wall, and a trench around the foundation puts treated soil between the colony and the house. Two things break that pattern. A slab poured against the foundation, such as a porch or garage floor, covers the soil where the trench should be. And a hollow block wall gives termites a hidden route up through the cells inside the block, reaching the sill plate without crossing the treated soil.
Drilling solves both. For slabs, holes are drilled through the concrete along the line where the slab meets the foundation, and termiticide is injected down through each hole so it spreads through the soil beneath. For block walls, holes are drilled into the face of the block near the bottom course and termiticide is injected into the cells, where it runs down and treats the void and the soil at the footing. The joint where a porch meets the house is treated the same way, because that joint is a favored entry point.
This is the right call wherever the inspection finds a slab, porch, step or block wall that keeps trenching from completing the treated zone, and wherever mud tubes come out of block or a slab crack. It is not a stand alone treatment. Drilling treats the spots a trench cannot reach, and the trench does the rest. Where a well, a finished space or a drainage problem makes drilling and trenching both impractical, termite bait stations around the perimeter are the alternative, and we tell you that at the inspection.
What to expect: the holes are small, the drilling is loud for a while, and the plugs show up close on bare concrete. On finished floors or brick we place them where they show least and point them out beforehand. Utilities under a slab are located first. Once the work is complete, we return once a year to inspect and confirm the treated zone is still intact.
How We Drill and Inject a Foundation
Map what the trench cannot reach
During the inspection the technician notes every slab, porch, step, patio and block wall that blocks the trench, along with any mud tubes coming out of block or a slab crack. That map decides where the holes go.
Locate utilities and mark the holes
Plumbing, electrical and gas lines under a slab are located before drilling. Hole positions are marked along the slab edge or the bottom course of block and shown to you.
Drill
Small holes are drilled through the slab or into the block cells at regular intervals. On finished surfaces the holes are placed where the plugs will be least visible.
Inject termiticide
Termiticide is pumped through each hole into the soil below the slab or into the block voids, where it treats the cavity and the soil at the footing. The amount follows the product label for the area being treated.
Plug the holes and finish the trench
Each hole is sealed with a plug or patching compound. The drilled areas join the trenched soil so the treated zone runs all the way around and under the structure.
Inspect once a year
We return annually to check for new activity, confirm the treated zone is intact and look at the moisture conditions under the house.
A Local, Family Owned Team in South Hill
Rozier is a family owned, faith-driven company based in South Hill. Because moisture is what invites termites and rodents in the first place, real prevention starts below the surface.
We treat the infestation and correct the moisture conditions that caused it, instead of handing you to a second contractor.
Each home we visit is assessed through a pest lens and a moisture lens, because underneath a house they are the same problem.
We do not arrive with a predetermined treatment and a timer running. What we propose follows from what we find.
Children, pets and sensitive family members are part of the decision about what gets used and how it is applied.
Answers to Common Questions About Foundation Drilling and Injection
Don't see your question here? Our team is happy to help. Reach out anytime.
Signs That May Point to Termite Activity
These are some of the warning signs that can lead to a termite inspection. The right treatment depends on what the inspection finds.
Mud Tubes on Foundation Walls
A thin line of dried soil running up a block wall is a road, built by termites, between the ground and your house.
Learn more
Discarded Swarmer Wings
A pile of small, clear, identical wings on a windowsill is the trace a termite swarm leaves behind.
Learn more
Hollow Sounding Wood
Wood that sounds papery under a knuckle has lost something inside, and the question is what took it.
Learn moreOther Termite Control Solutions We Use
Each method is matched to what the inspection finds at your property. These are the others we use for the same kind of problem.
Proudly Serving Southern Virginia and Northern North Carolina
Rooted in South Hill, we work across both states with the responsiveness of a local team. If your town is not listed, call us. There is a good chance we are already there.
Protection in Three Straightforward Steps
No confusing plans and no pressure. Here is exactly how we get your home protected.
Call for a free estimate.
One quick call and we schedule a visit at a time that suits you, at no cost and with no obligation to go ahead.
Get a plan built for your home.
We inspect above and below the surface, explain plainly what we found, and recommend only what your property actually needs.
We handle the work.
Our team carries out the treatment or the repair, and tells you what to expect afterwards and when we will be back.
Free Guide
Get the Free Termite Guide by Email
Seven short chapters on subterranean termites in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina: where they get in, what the warning signs look like, and what an inspection involves.
- A room by room checklist of warning signs
- What each sign can mean for your home
- How termite protection and inspections work
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