Termite Control in Florida
This page is designed to help people who are located in Florida specifically. There's a lot of state-by-state information, and here you'll find information that will be helpful to you based on state laws, as well as information on local pest control companies that have an Internet presence.
The most important one you may want to visit is for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Florida has recurring termite problems, and as such they've got a lot of helpful information up for people to use.
Florida Law Governing Termite Control:
An important caveat for this site: I'm not your lawyer, and you need to see a lawyer if you have legal questions. The information here is meant to be informative, but only a lawyer can understand your exact situation and make sure you get things right.
Florida, like a lot of other states, has laws that specifically cover termites. Here are the ones you want to be aware of:
1) Termite inspectors or pest control companies are required to post a notice near any attic or crawl space they use when they're doing the inspection or treatment. This has to list their name, contact information, and what treatment they did. Why does this matter to you? Well, if you're in a new house and you're not sure whether it's been inspected for termites, this is a good way to get some information on whether your home has any history or not. Just go to any attic or crawl space and look for any notice (which should be there unless the prior owner removed it).
2) Whenever a pest control company does a treatment for termites, Florida state law requires them to issue you a contract. This contract has to provide a warranty "valid for a year" and also give you the option of extending the contract annually for four more years.
This also means if you buy a house, you need to see if any such contracts exist and get your own copy. Looking for the notice described above can help you find out which pest control companies might have provided a warranty on your home.
3) You should read the contract closely before agreeing to it to know what you're getting. Some "buzz words" to look for: a "full warranty" or "unlimited warranty" under Florida law means the company will actually have to pay for repairs of any damage to your home within the covered period (see here). A "limited warranty" means that they don't have to repair any damage, but they do have to come out and re-do the treatment.
Lawyers in Florida:
If you have a detailed problem, it's possible to find lawyers who specifically focus on termite law. Here are a few examples:
Marshall D. Davis - Mr. Davis is in Jacksonville and handles litigation based on termite damage (for example, if you're suing an insurance company, if you think a pest control company has been negligent, or if you buy property and find undisclosed termite damage). His phone number is (904) 354-2738.
Listings of Pest Control Companies:
Below are listings of various Florida-based exterminators that are capable of handling termite problems. When possible the type of pesticide they use will be included so you can go look it up on the Termite Guide home page. You can also go here to find more exterminators in your area.
Miami
Al-Flex - This company uses tenting to treat drywood termites, and combines Advance with liquid pesticides for subterranean ones.
Bugbusters - They use Vikane gas for fumigation.
Jacksonville
Access Termite Pest Control - They use Termidor and Bora Care (a preventive application you can stick on wood to keep them away)
Tampa
Anteater Pest & Lawn - They apply liquid treatments
St. Petersburg
Orlando
Florida's Finest Lawn & Pest Control - This company uses Termidor
Lewis Cobb Pest - They either use Sentricon or tenting to fumigate your house.
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