Subterranean termites work the soil under valley slabs in near silence, and most homeowners never see one until the damage is already done. Knowing the seven signs is how you catch them early.
People assume the desert is too dry for termites. It is not. Subterranean termites live in the soil, not the wood, and they carry their own moisture up into the framing through mud tubes. The expansive clay and silt under most valley slabs holds enough moisture at depth to keep a colony going year round, even when the surface is baked.
The bigger issue is the slab itself. Desert soil swells and shrinks with every watering cycle and every monsoon, and over years that movement opens hairline cracks, separates expansion joints, and leaves gaps around plumbing penetrations. Termites do not chew through concrete. They simply find the gap that the shifting soil already made for them. Newer tracts on disturbed lots and older central homes with mature irrigation both see it.
Here are the seven things our technicians look for first on a Las Vegas inspection. Most homeowners can spot at least the top three on their own with a flashlight and ten minutes around the perimeter.
Swarming is the colony reproducing. Subterranean termites usually swarm on warm afternoons in spring, then again after the July to September monsoon storms saturate the soil. You may not see the flight itself, since it can be brief and happen while you are at work. The wings left behind are the evidence.
A swarm matters because it tells you a colony nearby is mature, often three to five years old, and large enough to send out reproductives. If you find wings inside your home rather than just outside, the colony may already be feeding on your structure. That is the moment to stop guessing and book a real inspection rather than waiting to see if it happens again.
Do not knock down a mud tube and call it handled. Breaking the tube does not kill the colony in the soil, and it destroys the evidence a technician needs to find the entry point. Leave it, take a photo, and note where you saw it. The same goes for swarmer wings: sweep one pile into an envelope for the inspector and leave the rest where they are.
From there, an inspection is the only way to confirm an active infestation and map how far it has spread. Our termite control visit documents active galleries and mud tubes, checks the slab perimeter and any plumbing penetrations, and lays out whether a liquid soil barrier or a monitored bait system fits your home. Inspections usually run $75 to $150, and the report is written up so it works for escrow or an HOA. Homes on the desert edges in Summerlin and the newer tracts get checked the same way as the older central core.
Treatment cost tracks the home, not a flat menu. The two main approaches are a liquid soil barrier, which puts a treated zone in the soil around and under the foundation, and a monitored bait system, which uses in-ground stations the colony carries back to the nest. Both work; they fit different homes and budgets.
| Termite service | Usual range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | $75 to $150 | Escrow and homeowner reports documented in writing. |
| Subterranean treatment | $900 to $2,500+ | Liquid soil barrier or monitored bait. Varies with linear footage and method. |
Bigger homes and longer foundation runs trend toward the upper end, and a heavily established colony can push past it. We confirm the exact number after the inspection and before any work, never after. If you want the full breakdown of how each service is priced across the valley, the cost guide lays it out, or you can check the common questions on our FAQ page.
Look for pencil-width mud tubes on foundation walls, discarded wings near windows after a swarm, and wood that sounds hollow when you tap it. Subterranean termites hide in the soil under the slab, so the signs show up at the edges. If you spot any of them, a termite inspection usually runs $75 to $150.
Subterranean termites usually swarm on warm days in spring and again after summer monsoon storms, often in the afternoon. You may never see the swarm itself, but you find the discarded wings on windowsills and near sliding doors. Those wings are one of the clearest signs the colony is mature and near your home.
They do not eat concrete, but they do not need to. Subterranean termites slip through expansion joints, plumbing penetrations, and hairline cracks in a slab, then build mud tubes up into the framing. Desert soil shifts and cracks the slab over time, which opens the gaps they use. That is why slab homes here still get them.
An inspection usually runs $75 to $150. A full subterranean termite treatment, whether a liquid soil barrier or a monitored bait system, usually runs $900 to $2,500 or more depending on the home’s linear footage and the method. See our termite control page or the cost guide for how the number is built.
Yes. An escrow termite inspection is cheap insurance against an expensive surprise, and many lenders want one on file. We document active galleries and prior damage in a written report you can use in the transaction. Catching subterranean termites before closing is far cheaper than discovering them in a wall a year later.
We are a licensed, local crew, and a termite inspection usually runs $75 to $150 with a written report you can use for escrow. Catching subterranean termites early is far cheaper than fixing the damage they leave.
Last updated: May 28, 2026.
