In the Phoenix metro, the termite question is rarely if and usually when. The desert subterranean termite (Heterotermes aureus) is native to our soil and forages across virtually every East Valley neighborhood. A slab home does not keep them out; they enter through expansion joints, plumbing penetrations, and hairline cracks in the concrete it sits on.
A real inspection is methodical, not a glance at the garage. A trained inspector works the entire structure inside and out, which takes 30 to 60 minutes on a typical slab home. NEARPEST inspections are free for homeowners, so there is no reason to guess about what is happening under your baseboards.
This guide walks through what a professional checks, then gives you a pre-inspection walkthrough you can do yourself with a flashlight.
Why desert subterranean termites are different
Heterotermes aureus colonies are smaller than the subterranean species in wetter states, but the desert makes up for it in density — multiple colonies can forage on one lot. They are also drought-hardened: their mud tubes are narrower, drier, and more brittle than the fat, damp tubes textbooks show, which makes them easy to dismiss as dirt smears.
They stay active year-round because the soil never freezes, and in heavy infestations they build free-hanging drop tubes from ceilings — a classic Sonoran Desert sign that startles homeowners. Smaller, drier, and sneakier is the honest summary, and it is why annual inspections matter even when nothing looks wrong.
The stem wall: where every inspection starts
The number one sign of termite activity on an Arizona slab home is a mud tube on the stem wall — the strip of exposed concrete between the soil and the wood framing. Desert subterranean tubes are tan to gray, often pencil-width or thinner, running up from grade to the stucco line.
An inspector walks the entire perimeter, moving aside vegetation and stored items, because tubes favor the shaded stretches behind shrubs, AC units, and patio furniture. One short tube confirms activity. We also check where soil or gravel sits above the stem wall line, since buried concrete gives termites a hidden bridge into the framing.
Inside: garage joints, bath traps, and kickout holes
The garage gets special attention because its slab usually meets the house slab at an expansion joint — a ready-made highway up through the concrete. Inspectors examine the joint line, the bottom plates of garage walls, and the corners behind stored boxes where tubes climb unnoticed.
Bathrooms hide the other classic entry: the bath trap, an open soil void under the tub left for plumbing access. It is warm, humid, and connects directly to the ground — ideal termite conditions. If there is an access panel, a good inspector opens it.
Throughout the interior, we scan drywall and baseboards for kickout holes: pinholes ringed with dirt, where termites broke through the paper face and resealed it with soil. Blistered paint, wavy baseboards, and a hollow sound under tapping all get flagged and probed.
Moisture and wood-to-soil contact
Termites follow moisture, so the inspection maps every wet zone touching the foundation: drip lines against the stem wall, AC condensate outlets, hose bibs, and downspouts dumping at the slab edge. Correcting these is often the cheapest prevention a homeowner can buy.
Wood-to-soil contact is the other condition we log every time. Fence posts tied into the stem wall, trellises, deck supports, firewood stacked against the house, and thick mulch beds give termites a route that bypasses the concrete. None of it means you have termites — all of it raises the odds.
Your pre-inspection walkthrough
Before the pro arrives, do this circuit yourself. Outside: walk the perimeter and study the stem wall for pencil-width mud lines, especially behind plants and equipment. Note anywhere soil, gravel, or planters sit above the concrete line, and anywhere wood touches dirt.
Inside: check the garage expansion joint and wall corners, look under every sink, open the bath trap access panel, and scan baseboards for pinholes, dirt specks, or blistered paint. Run a knuckle along suspect trim and listen for a papery, hollow sound.
Write down what you find and where. None of it confirms or rules out termites on its own — drier desert tubes fool homeowners both ways — but it makes the professional inspection faster. Ours are free for homeowners, with findings in writing.