By Kevin Sukovich, Owner, Webenex Services Pest Control · Updated October 2026
Florida's termite calendar runs on a spring swarm. According to UF/IFAS, winged swarmers emerge during the spring, with a smaller swarm sometimes in the fall. PestWorld says swarmers are typically the first sign of termite season. For a business, finding out from a cloud of winged insects at the storefront window means the problem was already there. That's why I tell commercial owners to make their termite decisions in the months before spring, not after.
This guide gives you the local numbers, the warning signs, the two treatment approaches and a checklist your facility team can use this week.
In this guide
- Orlando ranks #5 on Orkin's 2026 Top 50 Termite Cities list
- PestWorld puts termite damage at more than $6.8 billion a year
- Why Central Florida businesses should plan for spring swarm season
- Signs of termites in a commercial building
- Liquid barriers vs. baiting systems
- Prevention checklist for facility managers
- Frequently asked questions
Orlando ranks #5 on Orkin's 2026 Top 50 Termite Cities list
Orkin published its 2026 Top 50 Termite Cities list on February 17, 2026. Miami is No. 1, Tampa is No. 3 and Orlando is No. 5. West Palm Beach is No. 7, which puts four Florida cities in the top seven.
Know what the list measures before you lean on it. Orkin built it from its own residential termite treatments in owner-occupied homes. It is not a measured infestation rate, and it does not count commercial buildings. Use it as a reason to pay attention, not as a forecast for your property.
Public sighting data won't settle the question either. iNaturalist research-grade observations for a box around Clermont, pulled Oct. 5, 2026, show two documented sightings of termites. That counts what people photographed and posted, not how many buildings have termites. Termite feeding follows the grain of the wood and can leave only a thin layer of sound wood at the surface, according to UF/IFAS, so damage stays out of sight whether or not anyone posts a photo.
PestWorld puts termite damage at more than $6.8 billion a year
PestWorld, the consumer site of the National Pest Management Association, reports that termites cause more than $6.8 billion in property damage each year. That is not a Florida or commercial-building number, so treat it as a sense of scale.
What matters for your building is where the wood is. UF/IFAS, the University of Florida's extension service, says termite feeding can seriously damage structural studs such as 2x4s, and it lists wall surfaces, the undersides of countertops, baseboards and door frames as places to check for mud tubes. That list is mostly interior surfaces. In a commercial space, think storefront door frames, break-room counters, back-of-house baseboards and the framing behind finished walls.
Before you find out the hard way, settle three business questions:
Ask your insurance agent whether your commercial property policy covers termite damage, and get the answer in writing.
If you lease, check who is responsible for termite inspection and treatment. Raise it with your landlord or property manager before there's a problem.
If you run several sites, decide who is accountable for termite inspections at each one.
Why Central Florida businesses should plan for spring swarm season
Orlando and Tampa both sit in the top five of Orkin's list, keeping in mind that it's based on Orkin's own residential treatments. PestWorld also says the conehead termite has invaded Florida.
Then there's the calendar. Swarmers emerge during the spring, with a smaller swarm sometimes in the fall, and depending on the species they can be honey-colored to black, according to UF/IFAS. PestWorld says they appear inside in early spring.
It's October now. If you want to decide on protection before spring, the next few months are the time to get an inspection and a quote. My advice is to get both done over the winter so you aren't making the decision in the middle of a swarm.
Now
October
Winter
Inspection and quote
Spring
Swarm season
Commercial property raises its own planning questions:
Site work
Is repaving, landscaping, utility work or an addition planned? If you have a liquid barrier, UF/IFAS notes that soil disturbed by construction, digging or heavy rain may need retreatment.
Shared buildings
In a multi-tenant strip or office building, decide who walks the common areas and who gets the call when something turns up.
Mixed use
Restaurants, hotels and medical offices should ask any provider where treatment will be applied relative to kitchens, guest rooms and patient areas, and whether any area needs to close during the work.
Signs of termites in a commercial building
Mud tubes.
These are made of soil, feces and partially digested wood. UF/IFAS describes tubes as strong evidence of subterranean termites. Check wall surfaces, under countertops, along baseboards and around door frames. In a business, add stockroom walls, the area under service counters and any utility closet.
Swarmers.
Winged termites emerging inside in spring are another sign.
Damaged wood.
Feeding follows the grain and can leave only a thin layer of sound wood at the surface. A door frame or baseboard can look fine from the hallway. If a piece of trim gives under light pressure, flag it for an inspector.
What to do if you find something
Only an on-site inspection can tell you what you have, whether it's active and how far it goes. Until then:
Photograph it with something in the frame for scale, and write down the location and date.
Leave mud tubes in place so the inspector can see them as they are.
If there are winged insects, save a few in a sealed bag or jar.
Hold off on sprays and foggers until a licensed technician has looked.
For the wider list of warning signs, roaches and rodents included, see 7 Signs Your Business Has a Pest Problem.
Check us first
If you've found any of these signs, have it checked. Our commercial inspections are free, and we give you a quote before any work starts. Call or text (407) 360-7325, or start at our commercial pest control page.
Business treatment options: liquid barriers vs. baiting systems
UF/IFAS describes two approaches: liquid soil barriers and baiting systems. Its guidance is written for homes, so use it as background for a conversation with your inspector, not as a building-specific plan. The choice depends on your site, your schedule and how you want the property monitored.
Liquid soil termiticide barrier.
A pest professional may trench around the structure, drill the slab, and treat the trench and drill holes. Termites die by contacting or eating the treated soil, which acts as a barrier against foraging into the structure. Its biggest limit, according to UF/IFAS: soil termiticides generally don't kill entire colonies.
How it works
Treated soil kills termites and blocks foraging into the structure
Installation
Trenching, slab drilling and treatment
Listed longevity (UF/IFAS)
2–15+ years
Colony effect
Does not generally kill entire colonies
Watch-out
Disturbed soil may need retreatment
Baiting system.
Monitoring stations holding cellulose-based cartridges with an insect growth regulator are placed in the ground at regular intervals around the structure, in areas of known termite activity. Termites have to find the bait and feed on it, and UF/IFAS says colonies can be eliminated with baits.
How it works
Termites find and feed on bait in stations around the structure
Installation
Stations set in the ground at regular intervals
Listed longevity (UF/IFAS)
4–7+ years, potentially indefinite if maintained
Colony effect
Colonies can be eliminated
Watch-out
Depends on termites finding and feeding on the bait
Questions to settle with your inspector
What site work is planned in the next few years, and will it disturb soil along the foundation? (Disturbed soil may need retreatment after a liquid barrier.)
Is there soil around the perimeter for stations, or is the building surrounded by pavement and sidewalk? Ask which approach the inspector recommends for your layout, and why.
If the slab has to be drilled, can it happen outside business hours, and how will finished floors be patched?
Who checks the system, how often, and what record do you get after each visit?
Will you need a wood-destroying organism (WDO) report, a written termite and wood-pest inspection report that a buyer, lender or landlord may ask for?
How long will the inspection take, what will be checked, and what will you receive in writing afterward?
Our answer
At Webenex, termite service, including WDO reports and colony elimination, is separate from our general commercial plan and quoted separately. Our general plan covers eight pest groups, and termites aren't one of them. Before you sign with any provider, ask the same question: is termite protection part of my plan, or a separate service?
Prevention checklist for facility managers
Hand this list to whoever walks your building:
Walk the interior on a set schedule. Check baseboards, door frames, wall surfaces and the undersides of countertops for mud tubes. Put it on the same calendar as your fire-extinguisher checks.
Watch for swarmers in spring. Winged insects indoors in spring are worth a call.
Log soil disturbance. Tell your pest control provider about any digging, trenching or grading near the foundation, because disturbed soil may need retreatment after a liquid barrier.
Set an inspection schedule. Ask your provider how often your building should be inspected, and time the first one for winter so the results and quote are in hand before spring.
Keep one termite file. Store inspection reports, WDO reports, treatment records and any station map in one place.
Train front-line staff. Make sure cleaners, maintenance and shift leads know what a mud tube looks like and who to tell.
Confirm your coverage. Find out whether termites are part of your current pest plan or a separate service.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my business has termites?
Look for mud tubes on walls, under countertops, along baseboards or around door frames, which UF/IFAS describes as strong evidence of subterranean termites. Winged swarmers indoors in spring are another sign, and so is wood with only a thin layer of sound wood at the surface. A sign is not a diagnosis. Photograph it, leave it in place and have the building inspected. See "What to do if you find something" above.
How often should a business get a termite inspection?
Ask your provider how often your building should be inspected. If you have a liquid barrier, tell your provider about site work, because disturbed soil may need retreatment. Also plan an inspection before you buy, sell or refinance a property.
When is termite swarm season in Central Florida?
UF/IFAS says swarmers emerge during the spring, with a smaller swarm sometimes in the fall. Its guidance is statewide and doesn't give Central Florida dates. PestWorld says swarmers appear inside in early spring.
Can termites damage a concrete building?
The damage UF/IFAS describes is to wood: feeding that follows the grain and can seriously damage structural studs. A concrete or block building still has wood in it, such as door frames, baseboards, trim, countertops and framing behind finished walls, and those are the places UF/IFAS lists for checking mud tubes. UF/IFAS also describes drilling the slab as part of a liquid barrier treatment. If your building is concrete or block, I'd still have a licensed inspector check it, and ask which interior areas and slab areas they examine.
Book a free inspection for your facility
We're a Clermont-based pest control company (Florida license JB309802). We service commercial buildings from 200 to 72,000 square feet, and the industries we serve include restaurants, hotels, and property managers and HOAs. Our Google Business Profile showed 4.9 stars from 567 reviews as of Oct. 11, 2026.
Our commercial inspections are free, and you get a quote before any work starts. Termite service is quoted separately from our general plan, so ask about a termite inspection when you call or text us, or request a call back through the form on our commercial pest control page.
Free termite inspection for your facility.
Call or text (407) 360-7325