Sachse, TX · Termites
Mud lines running up the slab or the garage wall
Narrow tubes of dried soil climbing the edge of a slab, the brick, a garage wall or the back of a baseboard are shelter tubes. Subterranean termites build them to travel from the soil to wood while staying out of dry air.
Texas pest control businesses are licensed by the TDA. The call carries no obligation.
Why the tubes appear where they do
On slab houses the tubes show up at the edges. In Sachse, Wylie and Murphy most homes sit on a concrete slab, often with brick veneer down to the ground. The places to look are where the slab meets the soil, where the brick ledge is buried by mulch or a raised flowerbed, along the garage wall, and around pipes coming up through the floor.
Hidden tubes are common. Termites can travel inside a crack in the slab or behind the brick, so the first visible tube is often in the garage or behind a baseboard rather than outside.
The damage is inside the wood. Subterranean termites eat along the grain and leave a thin surface, so trim and sheetrock paper can look normal until they are pressed.
What the visit involves
A technician follows the tubes in both directions, checks the full perimeter of the slab, the garage, the bath trap and any wood touching soil — a fence, a deck post, a flowerbed border.
The treatment is aimed at the soil, where the colony is, either with a liquid barrier around the foundation or with bait stations, sometimes both. Damaged wood is a separate repair.
Tell the operator
- Where the tubes are and how many you found
- Whether any were rebuilt after you broke them
- Any soft trim, bubbling paint or sheetrock that dents easily
- Whether the house has had a termite treatment or carries a builder's warranty
Say what you found and where. Call to check whether a visit is available today.
(866) 204-1244Questions people ask
If I scrape it off, are they gone?
No. The tube is only the road. The colony lives in the soil and will build another one, often in a spot that is harder to see.
My house is on a slab. Can termites still get in?
Yes. They come up through cracks, plumbing openings and expansion joints in the slab, and up the outside edge behind brick or siding. A slab removes the crawl space, not the route.
How do I know if the tube is active?
Break a small section open and look again in a few days. If it has been sealed over, termites are using it. If not, it may be old, which still means the house needs a look.
Other things people find
- Winged insects swarming inside the houseDark, small, many at once near a window — then wings everywhere
- Fire ant mounds popping up after rainLoose dirt mounds across the lawn, ants that swarm up and sting
- A trail of small ants across the kitchenTiny ants along the counter, sink, window or dishwasher
- Found a scorpion in the housePale yellowish scorpion in the tub, on a wall or in shoes
- A brown spider in the garage, closet or storage boxesPlain brown spider, long legs, found in boxes or clothes
- Big roaches coming up from the drain or the garageLarge reddish-brown roach in the tub, sink or garage at night
- Small roaches in the kitchen cabinetsLight-brown roaches with two dark stripes, near the sink or appliances
- Scratching in the attic or walls at nightScurrying overhead after dark, usually once the weather cools
- Droppings in the pantry or kitchen drawersSmall dark pellets near food, under the sink or in drawers
- Waking up with bites in a line or clusterItchy bites after sleeping, dark specks on the mattress seams
- Mosquitoes make the backyard unusableBites on the patio at dusk, or even in the middle of the day
- Fleas in the house even after treating the petsBites around the ankles, tiny jumping insects in the carpet
- Pests in a house that was just builtCrickets, ants or scorpions in a home that is a year or two old
ZIP codes covered
Mostly built since 2000
Older neighborhoods, 1970s–1990s