Florida requires a protective barrier against termites between the ground and a new house, and allows multiple different ways to provide it, "including soil applied pesticides, baiting systems, and pesticides applied to wood, or other approved methods of termite protection labeled for use as a preventative treatment to new construction.” The treatment must be done by a licensed pest control company, and they have to issue a statement to the building department that the building "has received a complete treatment for the prevention of subterranean termites” before a building permit can be issued.

    A notice to the homeowner is also required to be posted inside the house. It is usually found on the door of the electric panel, and states the type of treatment used, date of treatment, and recommendation to renew contract and inspect annually. An example is shown above, indicating that a chemical called BoraCare was used.

    Also, see our blog post What are the building code requirements for making a house termite resistant? 

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To learn more about termites, see these other blog posts:

• Should I be worried about termites if my neighbor's house is being tented?

• What is that new termite in Florida that also eats live trees? 

• Is the WDO (termite) inspector allowed to poke holes in my wood siding and trim? 

• Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida?

• How long before closing can you have a WDO (termite) inspection done?

• How long does Bora-Care® last? 

• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house?

• Does the presence of carpenter ants in a house indicate that there are probably also termites? 

• How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?

• If termite damage appears to be old, does that mean that termites may no longer be present?

• How do I know if my WDO/termite report is "clear"? 

• When do termites swarm in Florida?

• Does a recent termite company inspection sticker mean there are no termites? 

• Can a mobile/manufactured home get termites?

• Do I have to tent the house if I have termites? 

• What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?

• What are the green plastic discs in the ground around the house? 

• What is a termite shield?

• How do termites get into a concrete block house? 

• Do termites eat concrete?

• What is a clean WDO?  

• What do termites eat?

• How do I treat wood rot  that's listed in my termite-WDO report? 

• Do I really need a termite-WDO inspection? 

• What's causing those holes in the fascia?

• Does wood chip mulch in the yard attract termites?

• I think I have termites. What does a termite look like?

• I'm buying a concrete block house. Do I still need a termite inspection? 

• I saw a little termite damage on the baseboard. Should I be concerned?

   Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.