Silver Bullet Pest ControlFound winged bugs by the basement window, mud tubes on the block wall, or a soft step on the back porch? Here's how to get rid of termites in a Hawthorne home, what a good termite company should do, and the questions to ask before you hire anyone, including us.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Based nearby in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the bugs, wings or mud tubes to 973-510-2585. We'll tell you if it's termites before you spend a dollar.
To get rid of termites in Hawthorne you need a licensed termite inspection to find where the colony is getting in, followed by a professional treatment, most often a liquid termiticide applied to the soil along the foundation plus the active areas inside. Store sprays only kill the termites you can see. Silver Bullet Pest Control inspects and treats Hawthorne homes from our base in Garfield, shows you what we find, and explains the plan before any work starts. NJ License 90568B, 4.9 stars on Google. Call or text 973-510-2585.
The termites that cause trouble in North Jersey are eastern subterranean termites. They live in the soil in large colonies, need steady moisture, and reach a house by building mud tubes up the foundation to the first piece of wood they can find, usually the sill plate that sits on top of the foundation wall.
Hawthorne's housing makes that easy to picture. Much of the borough is single-family homes built in the middle of the last century, capes, colonials, ranches and split-levels, many with block foundations, full or partial basements, and decks, porches and additions put on over the years. Block walls have hollow cores termites can travel through out of sight, and finished basement walls cover the spots where you'd normally see a mud tube.
Most Hawthorne homeowners find termites one of these four ways:
A swarm is the colony sending out new kings and queens. Indoors, it almost always means an active colony in or under the house. Save a few in a zip bag or take a close photo.
Termites build these tunnels so they can travel between soil and wood without drying out. Break a small piece off: if it's rebuilt in a few days, the colony is active.
Carpenter ants also damage wood and also swarm, but they don't eat it and they need a different treatment. A good inspection tells the two apart before anything gets treated.
"Best" means the company that finds the real problem and fixes it honestly. Use these questions with anyone you call:
| Ask this | What a good answer sounds like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Are you licensed in New Jersey? | Gives you a NJ pesticide license number you can check | Can't or won't give one |
| Will you inspect before quoting? | Yes, inside and out, including the basement and foundation | A price over the phone without seeing the house |
| Will you show me what you found? | Shows you the tubes, damage or photos | Just says "you have termites" |
| Is it termites or something else? | Will tell you if it's carpenter ants, wood rot or nothing | Every call turns into a full treatment |
| What exactly will you treat, and with what? | Explains where, how and how long it takes | Vague or rushed answers, pressure to sign today |
| What should I fix around the house? | Points out moisture, wood-to-soil contact and mulch | Never mentions conditions |
Silver Bullet's license is NJ 90568B, we've been doing this for over 15 years, and we'll tell you straight if it isn't termites.
A technician checks the foundation, sills, basement, crawl spaces, porches, decks and garage, and marks every active area and entry point.
A liquid termiticide is applied in the soil along the foundation and at key points, so termites coming up from the ground have to pass through it.
Infested wood and any spots where termites are already inside the structure are treated directly.
We point out the water, wood-to-soil contact and mulch problems so the treatment isn't fighting the house. If wood is damaged, our crew repairs it after treatment.
Already have damage? See our page on termite damage.
You'll hear a few different terms when you shop around. Here's what they mean:
We recommend what fits your house and explain why, including when you don't need a full treatment. Looking for a non-bait approach? See non-bait termite control in nearby Prospect Park.
Kill the termites you hit. The colony in the soil, which can be very large, keeps going.
Can show termites are around, but rarely get a colony under control without a full plan.
Fine to check for activity, but removing them doesn't stop termites. They just build new ones.
Keeping gutters working, moving mulch and wood away from the house, fixing leaks, and getting a yearly look at the basement walls.
The honest answer to how to get rid of termites in New Jersey: you need the soil around the foundation treated, and that is a professional job.
We give a free quote after the inspection. These are the main factors:
| Factor | Smaller job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Size of the house | Small footprint, simple foundation | Larger home with additions, porches and a garage |
| Foundation | Open, unfinished basement | Finished basement, slab sections, crawl spaces |
| Activity | One small area | Several active spots or long runs of tubes |
| Moisture | Dry, good drainage | Wet basement or drainage problems |
| Treatment type | Targeted treatment | Full foundation treatment |
Call or text 973-510-2585 and we'll set up the inspection.
A wood-destroying insect inspection is a normal part of many New Jersey home sales, and VA loans require one. If you're under contract, call as soon as you have a closing date. Tell us who needs the report: buyer, seller, agent or lender.
More: VA termite inspections in NJ.
Tell us what you found, swarmers, wings, mud tubes or soft wood, and send a photo if you can. If you're buying or selling, include the closing date.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Look for a New Jersey licensed company that inspects before quoting, shows you what it found, and tells you when it isn't termites. Ask the questions in the table above.
Not reliably. Store products kill the termites you can see, but the colony lives in the soil and needs a professional treatment around the foundation.
Most homes are treated in a day. Larger homes, finished basements or slab sections can take longer.
Products are applied by a licensed technician following the label, mostly into the soil and wall areas. We'll tell you if anyone should stay out of an area and for how long.
Mostly in spring, often on a warm day after rain. Swarms indoors usually mean the colony is close by.
No. Termites have straight antennae, a thick waist and four equal wings; flying ants have bent antennae, a pinched waist and longer front wings.
It depends on the size of the house, the foundation, how much activity there is and the treatment needed. We give a free quote after the inspection.
Treatment protects the areas treated, but moisture and wood touching soil make a house more inviting. A periodic inspection catches new activity early.
Yes. Call with the closing date and who needs the report.
Yes. We treat the termites first, then our crew repairs the damaged wood ourselves — sill plates, joists, beams and framing. One company handles both.
Sí. Revisamos su casa, le mostramos lo que encontramos y le damos un presupuesto gratis. Hablamos español: 973-510-2585.
From our base in Garfield we cover Hawthorne and the towns around it in Passaic and Bergen counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
