Kill drywood termites with heat, sleep home tonight
The structure is heated until the core of the wood reaches a lethal temperature. No fumigant, no second night away.
Termite heat treatment in Bakersfield is the chemical-free way to kill a drywood colony. Propane heaters and fans push the inside of the structure, or one sealed-off section of it, to roughly 140 to 160 degrees, and hold it there until sensors buried in the framing confirm the core of the wood has passed the lethal mark, around 130. Nothing survives that in the heated zone. Not the workers, not the queen, not the eggs.
The draw is speed and simplicity. There’s no fumigant, so there’s no gas shutoff, no bagged pantry, and no clearance wait. You leave in the morning with the pets and a short list of heat-sensitive items, and you sleep in your own bed that night. For households that can’t lose three days, or don’t want gas involved at all, that trade is the whole decision.
Heat also scales down in a way gas can’t. A whole house can be treated, or one wing, or a single infested room sealed off as its own compartment, which keeps the disruption proportional to the problem.
California treats heat as one of two recognized whole-structure methods for drywood termites, alongside fumigation. The honest trade-off between them is penetration. Gas reaches every void no matter what; heat has to physically get there, and dense construction can shelter cold spots where temperatures lag. A good operator maps those risks before recommending either. If you’re comparing every option from spot work on up, the treatment overview lays out the whole lineup.
Heat vs. fumigation at a glance
Heat treatment
- Chemicals
- None
- Time out of house
- Same day
- Limits
- Dense construction can shelter cold spots
- Chemicals
- Fumigant gas
- Time out of house
- Two nights
- Limits
- Heavier prep: bagging, gas shutoff
| Method | Chemicals | Time out of house | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat treatment | None | Same day | Dense construction can shelter cold spots |
| Fumigation | Fumigant gas | Two nights | Heavier prep: bagging, gas shutoff |
Prep, timeline, and where heat fits
Prep is light compared to tenting. Out go the meltables and the delicate: candles, crayons, aerosol cans, medications, wine, instruments, vinyl, and whatever electronics the crew flags. Furniture stays. Clothes stay. The fridge stays running.
The clock is the selling point. Heat-up takes a few hours, the hold runs long enough for the wood cores to hit temperature, and cool-down follows. Most jobs start in the morning and release the house the same afternoon.
Where does heat fit in the lineup? Between spot treatment and the tent. It’s the answer when drywood activity is too spread out for local injection but the household can’t give up three days, or simply wants no chemicals involved. When the inspection shows widespread galleries in hard-to-heat construction, fumigation stays the more thorough call, and it’s fair to say so up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot does a termite heat treatment get?
Air temperatures run roughly 140 to 160 degrees, held long enough for the core of the framing to pass about 130. Drywood termites can't survive that anywhere the heat reaches, eggs included.
Will the heat damage my belongings?
Heat-sensitive items come out first: candles, medications, aerosols, vinyl records, instruments, and some electronics. The crew works from a checklist before firing up. Furniture, clothing, and the house itself handle the temperatures fine.
Can you heat-treat just one room?
Yes. A single room or wing can be tented off inside the house and treated as a compartment. That's a common fix when drywood activity is confined to one area but too deep in the framing for spot injection.
Is heat as effective as fumigation?
Where the heat reaches lethal temperature, yes. The honest caveat is coverage: thick beams, tile-over-mortar, and hard-to-heat corners can shelter cold spots, while gas penetrates everything. That's why the inspection drives the choice.