Silver Bullet Pest ControlWinged bugs by the basement window in spring, a pencil-thin mud line on the foundation, or a soft spot in a sill you just noticed? Silver Bullet Pest Control inspects Northvale homes for termites, treats the colony where it's getting in, and can repair the damaged wood afterward, so you deal with one company from start to finish.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Serving all of Bergen County • Hablamos español
Found wings or swarmers? Text a photo to 973-510-2585 and we'll tell you whether they're termites or flying ants.
Silver Bullet Pest Control is a licensed termite exterminator serving Northvale, NJ, and the rest of Bergen County from our base in Garfield. We inspect the foundation, basement and wood inside and out, show you the activity we find, treat the soil and active areas where the termites are getting in, and can repair damaged sills, joists and framing ourselves after treatment. Call or text 973-510-2585 for a free quote.
Subterranean termites stay hidden, so most homeowners find one of these first:
Workers build mud tubes so they can travel from the soil into the wood without drying out. Break a short piece open: fresh tubes are moist and may have pale workers inside, which means the colony is active right now.
Termites don't need much room. A crack the width of a business card is enough for them to reach the sill plate, and a finished basement can hide that path behind paneling and carpet for years.
A swarm inside means a mature colony is nearby, often in or under the house. Many people assume they're flying ants. Keep a few in a zip bag and text us a photo so we can tell you which one you have.
Northvale is a small borough at the very top of Bergen County, right on the New York state line, and most of it is single-family homes on residential streets with lawns, mature trees and garden beds. That's a comfortable setting for eastern subterranean termites, the species behind nearly all termite damage in North Jersey. They live in the soil, need steady moisture, and forage upward into any wood they can reach from the ground.
A lot of the houses here are several decades old, and the things that draw termites tend to build up over time:
None of this means your house has termites. It does mean that in Northvale, an older house with a basement or slab addition is worth having checked, especially before you finish a basement or sell.
Silver Bullet is based in Garfield and serves all of Bergen County, including the northern towns along the New York line. Same-day visits are often available; for a full inspection we'll usually set a time that works for you within a few days.
| Check this | Termite swarmer | Flying ant |
|---|---|---|
| Waist | Thick, straight body with no pinch | Narrow, pinched waist like a wasp |
| Antennae | Straight, like a string of beads | Bent at an elbow |
| Wings | Four wings of equal length that drop off easily | Front wings longer than the back wings |
| When you see them | Spring, often on a warm day after rain | Spring and summer, sometimes again in fall |
| What it usually means | A termite colony in or near the house; schedule an inspection | An ant colony nearby; carpenter ants need wet wood |
Seeing big black ants instead? Carpenter ants hollow out damp wood and need a different plan. Read about professional ant control, or text us a photo first.
We check the foundation line, porch and deck supports, garage slab edges, wood-to-soil contact, mulch beds and downspouts, and note anything that keeps the soil wet.
Sill plates, rim joists, support posts, block walls, pipe penetrations and the areas behind finished walls we can reach. We probe wood that looks or sounds suspect.
You see the tubes, damage or moisture spots for yourself. If we find no activity, we tell you that plainly and point out the risk areas to watch.
Most often a liquid soil treatment along the foundation plus the active areas, with drilling through slabs or porches where needed to reach the soil underneath.
We can replace or reinforce damaged wood after treatment and explain what to keep an eye on going forward, such as moisture, wood contact and new cracks.
Want the full picture on how treatment works and why a can of store spray doesn't stop a colony? See does termite spray work.
There are two main professional approaches. Here's an honest side-by-side:
| Liquid soil treatment | Bait systems | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Termiticide placed in the soil along and under the foundation creates a treated zone termites pass through | Stations in the ground hold bait that termites carry back to the colony |
| Speed | Starts working as soon as termites contact the treated soil | Slower; depends on termites finding and feeding on the bait |
| Best fit | Active infestations, homes with basements and slab additions | Situations where drilling or trenching is hard, or as ongoing monitoring |
| What it involves | Trenching along the foundation and drilling slabs where needed | Installing stations around the house and checking them on a schedule |
| Upkeep | Watch for new cracks, additions or soil changes | Regular station checks for as long as the system is used |
For a deeper comparison, read Sentricon vs. liquid termite treatment. Not sure which fits your house? Ask us and we'll explain what we'd recommend and why.
Killing the termites is only half the job if they've been feeding for a while. Once a house is treated, the damaged wood still has to be dealt with, and that's where many homeowners end up calling a second company.
We repair termite damage ourselves after treatment. That includes sill plates, floor joists, beams and framing that have been weakened. We'll show you what's damaged, explain whether it needs to be replaced, sistered or reinforced, and give you a quote for the repair along with the treatment.
More detail: termite damage repair in NJ.
Found a floor that feels springy or a sill that crumbles? Call or text 973-510-2585. We'll check whether it's active termites, old damage or simply water rot.
An inspection ahead of time lets you find and fix a problem on your own schedule instead of in the middle of negotiations.
We can inspect, explain what the report means in plain language, and quote treatment and any needed repair.
Some loans call for a wood-destroying insect report. Ask your lender exactly what form and timing they need, and read our VA termite inspection guide.
More for buyers and sellers: homebuyer and seller termite inspections.
We don't quote prices over the internet because every house is different. These are the things that move the number, and the quote itself is free:
| Factor | Usually simpler | Usually more involved |
|---|---|---|
| Size of the foundation | Smaller footprint, short perimeter | Larger house or long perimeter with additions |
| Construction | Basement with exposed walls | Slabs, porches or garages that need drilling |
| Finished areas | Unfinished basement | Finished basement that hides walls and sills |
| Activity | One small active area | Several active spots or a long-term infestation |
| Damage | No repair needed | Sills, joists or framing to replace |
| Moisture | Dry foundation, good drainage | Wet corners, poor grading or downspout problems |
For more on pricing questions, see what goes into termite treatment cost. Or just call or text 973-510-2585 with what you're seeing.
Tell us what you found and where, and send a photo if you can. We'll explain what it is and what we'd recommend, with no pressure.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Yes. Silver Bullet Pest Control is based in Garfield and serves all of Bergen County, including Northvale on the New York line. Same-day visits are often available, and for a full inspection we can usually set a time within a few days that fits your schedule. Call or text 973-510-2585 to set it up.
The most common first signs are a spring swarm of winged insects indoors, piles of shed wings on a windowsill, and thin mud tubes on a foundation wall or pier. Wood that sounds hollow or crumbles along the grain is another sign. If you see any of these, have the house inspected rather than guessing.
They come up from the soil through cracks, expansion joints, gaps around pipes and the edges where a slab, porch or garage meets the house. Block walls give them hollow cores to travel through. Openings much thinner than a coin are enough, which is why the foundation line is the focus of a professional inspection.
A typical liquid soil treatment for a single-family home is done in one visit, usually within a day, depending on the size of the house and how much drilling through slabs is needed. Repair of damaged wood is scheduled separately once treatment is complete, and we'll give you a time estimate for both up front.
When it's applied by a licensed applicator according to the label, termite treatment is placed in the soil and inside walls or slabs, not sprayed around living areas. We tell you before we start about any steps to take, such as keeping pets and kids away from the work area until it's done.
Store sprays kill the termites you can see but don't reach the colony in the soil, so the problem usually continues out of sight. Professional products and equipment place treatment where the termites actually travel. A DIY approach is fine for prevention, like moving mulch and wood away from the foundation, but not for an active colony.
Yes. After treatment, we repair termite damage ourselves, including sill plates, floor joists, beams and framing. We'll show you what's damaged and quote the repair along with the treatment, so you don't have to find a separate contractor.
It depends on the buyer's lender and the contract. Some loans, including many VA loans, call for a wood-destroying insect report, and many buyers order one on their own. An inspection before you list lets you find and handle any problem on your timeline.
It depends on the size of the foundation, whether slabs or porches need drilling, how much activity there is and whether any wood needs repair. We give a free quote after looking at the house, so you know the full picture before any work starts.
Sí, hablamos español. Llame o mande un texto con una foto al 973-510-2585 y le explicamos todo sobre termitas en su casa de Northvale.
We serve Northvale and towns across Bergen County from our base in Garfield.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
