- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield, Inc. has provided termite treatment and inspection services across Frederick County since 2011, holding Maryland Department of Agriculture business license MDA #30263 and certified applicator credential MD Certified #19058. Owner Troy Yowell brings approximately 35 years of pest management experience to every inspection, including years as a pest management contractor on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jeffrey Allwine, Pest Shield‘s on-staff entomologist, performs termite protection treatments and supports team training — an unusual depth of diagnostic expertise for a local company. Pest Shield has earned 338+ five-star reviews across Google and HomeAdvisor, and was named Best of Frederick MD Pest Control in 2021.
How it works
Four steps. No surprises. Same answer whether it's your first call or your tenth.
You reach Troy or someone on his team directly. No call center, no dispatcher, no routing.
Same-day or next-day for most calls. Emergency stinging-insect situations and real-estate WDI deadlines get priority.
We identify the species, locate entry points, and find the source — not just the symptom.
Written recommendation, straightforward pricing, no obligation. If you don't need treatment, we'll tell you.
Most Myersville homeowners don’t discover a termite problem until something prompts a closer look — a home inspection, a spring swarm near a window, or a soft spot in wood that shouldn’t be soft. Subterranean termites, specifically Reticulitermes flavipes (the Eastern subterranean termite), are the dominant species in Maryland and the one responsible for the vast majority of structural damage in Frederick County homes. They live underground, forage through soil, and enter structures through cracks in foundations, crawl space piers, and wood-to-soil contact points — which means the damage is often well underway before it’s visible.
Frederick County’s clay-heavy soils are particularly favorable for subterranean termite colonies. Clay retains moisture, and moisture is what termite colonies need to survive and expand. Myersville’s wooded, rural character compounds this: wooded lots mean sustained organic material at or near grade, older homes often have crawl spaces with limited clearance and historic framing that’s difficult to fully inspect, and agricultural surroundings mean undisturbed soil where colonies can establish without disturbance. Spring is the most common discovery trigger in Central Maryland — when temperatures warm, mature colonies send out swarmers (winged reproductive termites, also called alates) to establish new colonies, and homeowners notice the discarded wings.
Here’s what to look for:
One important distinction: not all wood damage is active termite damage. Older homes in Myersville and the surrounding Frederick County area may have evidence of past infestations that were treated years ago, or damage from wood-boring carpenter ants or moisture decay that can look similar. A professional inspection is the only reliable way to determine whether damage is active, old, or something else entirely — and Pest Shield’s free inspection starts there, before any treatment recommendation is made.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
I invited Troy Yowell of Pest Shield and 2 other HomeAdvisor recommended professionals to give me estimates of how much it would cost to rid my house of termites. All 3 professionals explained to me in detail status of my termite infestation – I had swarmers -, what the termites were doing to my house – they are eating the heck out of my house – and what Termidor HE, the termiticide they planned to deploy around my house would affect the termites – it would kill the heck out of the termites. Pest Shield’s estimate was not the cheapest or the most expensive but I chose to go with Pest Shield because I believed it would provide the best service for my money. Troy showed up promptly at 9:00 am on the morning of D-Day ready to do battle with the termites. Even though I did not follow him around to make sure he was not cutting corners, I knew from casual post-work inspection that he did exactly what he promised to do and more. He charged me exactly what was specified on the contract, and refused a $50 tip. I am completely satisfied with Troy’s work and I hope not to see him again (that is, I know he did such a great job that the termites are gone for good). I will not hesitate to recommend Troy and Pest Shield (and, he traps and relocates pesky squirrels too!) to any friend, neighbor or colleague for all their pesky pest problems.
Ato Waters · June 2015 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy seems to genuinely like what he does and to educate his customers. He came to appointment ahead of time, explained things thoroughly, even taking me to crawl space under house to show where termites were entering house. Price was very competitive: price per linear foot was lower than other company and estimator from other company had included perimeter of a shed which, from my understanding, should not have been included because shed has no foundation, so not subject to invasion by termites. Work performed on time and as advertised. As indicated by others, a knowledgeable, competent and honest gentleman.
Otto Louis-Jacques · December 2015 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy is a true professional. He accommodated my schedule by coming after hours to do an inspection. I had gotten a “free inspection” from another BIG, WELL-KNOWN company and they had me believing I had live termites. I was suspicious when they didn’t show up for the initial treatment, and more so when I got conflicting information from people at their company. Turns out I didn’t have termites, and Troy was straight up, didn’t try to rip me off with a service I didn’t need. He SAVED me $1400 and I will surely use him in the future if I ever have a pest problem of any kind! Go Pest Shield!
Marion Entwisle · June 2014 Read on HomeAdvisor →
General pest & rodent control
Pest Shield’s termite treatment begins with a thorough inspection of the crawl space and foundation perimeter. Troy Yowell or Jeffrey Allwine — Pest Shield’s on-staff entomologist — walks the property, inspects accessible crawl space areas, identifies where termites are entering or have entered the structure, and explains findings directly to the homeowner before any treatment begins. As documented in multiple customer reviews, this includes taking homeowners into the crawl space to show exactly where termite activity or entry points are located. Pricing is calculated by linear foot of foundation perimeter, so there are no surprises between the estimate and the invoice.
Treatment is delivered under Pest Shield’s Termite Warranty Plan, using Termidor® HE termiticide — the industry’s most widely documented subterranean termite treatment product. Termidor HE is applied around the house perimeter and in porch slabs and garages, with additional treatment concentrated on areas of active termite activity. The product works through a transfer effect: termites that contact treated soil carry Termidor HE back to the colony on their bodies, passing it to nestmates through normal contact and grooming behavior. This colony-elimination mechanism is what makes a single perimeter application effective against the entire colony — not just the foragers visible at the surface.
What the Termite Warranty Plan covers:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application | One-time Termidor HE treatment |
| Colony eradication timeline | Within 90 days of treatment |
| Residual protection | 15+ years |
| Effectiveness guarantee | 100% effective guarantee |
| Warranty | Lifetime renewable warranty |
After treatment, the colony is typically eliminated within 90 days as Termidor HE moves through the colony population. The product’s 15+ year residual means the treated soil zone continues to protect the structure long after the initial colony is gone — a meaningful distinction from treatments that address only the visible infestation. The Termite Warranty Plan’s lifetime renewable warranty provides ongoing coverage for the structure, giving homeowners documented protection they can reference for future real estate transactions or refinancing.
Termidor HE is an EPA-registered termiticide applied to the exterior soil perimeter of the structure. Once the treated areas have dried, they are safe for family members and pets. Pest Shield’s exterior-first application approach keeps the product outside the living space entirely — the treatment targets the soil zone where subterranean termites travel, not the interior of the home.
Owner
Founded Pest Shield in 2011 after years as a pest management contractor on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 35 years in pest management. Personally handles or leads the majority of service calls.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across Frederick, Carroll, and Montgomery counties.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across the service area.
Our Entomologist
Consulting entomologist on species identification, conducive conditions, and treatment strategy for difficult cases.
Myersville sits in western Frederick County along U.S. Route 40 and Interstate 70, in the foothills approaching South Mountain and the Appalachian ridge. The surrounding landscape is a mix of older residential neighborhoods, working farms, and wooded lots — with Gathland State Park and Greenbrier State Park nearby. Pest Shield serves Myersville as part of its Frederick County coverage area, alongside Brunswick, Middletown, Boonsboro Road corridor communities, and the city of Frederick to the east.
Frederick County’s clay-heavy soils retain moisture year-round, creating consistently favorable conditions for subterranean termite colonies at or near grade. Myersville’s older housing stock — much of it with crawl space foundations rather than full basements — means more wood-to-soil proximity and less clearance for routine inspection. Wooded lots common to this part of the county provide sustained organic material near structures, and the area’s elevation and seasonal moisture patterns keep soil conditions hospitable well into fall. Pest Shield has documented experience treating historic homes with difficult crawl space access, which is directly relevant to older properties in this corridor — and homeowners looking for comprehensive pest control in Myersville will find that termite protection is one part of a broader year-round service offering.
Active termite infestations typically show mud tubes that are intact and moist, wood damage with soil or debris packed inside the galleries, and — in spring — live swarmers or freshly discarded wings. Old damage, by contrast, tends to show dry, empty galleries with no soil present, and mud tubes that crumble or are hollow when broken open. That said, distinguishing active from historical damage reliably requires a professional inspection — Pest Shield’s free inspection is specifically designed to answer this question before any treatment recommendation is made. Troy or Jeffrey Allwine will inspect the crawl space and foundation perimeter, explain what they find, and tell you directly whether treatment is warranted.
Termidor HE is an EPA-registered termiticide applied to the exterior soil perimeter of the structure — not inside the home. Once treated areas have dried, they are safe for family members and pets. Pest Shield’s exterior-first application approach means the product is targeted at the soil zone where subterranean termites travel, keeping it entirely outside the living space. Troy is documented as being attentive to safety concerns for homes with children and pets, and will address any specific questions during the inspection.
Under Pest Shield’s Termite Warranty Plan, termite colonies are typically eradicated within 90 days of treatment. Termidor HE works through a transfer effect — termites that contact the treated soil zone carry the product back to the colony through normal contact and grooming behavior, which is what allows a single perimeter application to eliminate the colony rather than just the foragers at the surface. You may continue to see some termite activity in the weeks immediately following treatment as the product moves through the colony population; this is expected and does not indicate the treatment isn’t working.
Pest Shield’s Termite Warranty Plan includes a lifetime renewable warranty on the treated structure, backed by a 100% effective guarantee. The warranty is renewable, meaning coverage can be maintained on an ongoing basis after the initial treatment period. Termidor HE’s 15+ year residual means the treated soil zone continues to protect the structure long after the initial colony is eliminated, which is the foundation the warranty is built on. For specific renewal terms and any associated costs, contact Pest Shield directly at (301) 829-0060 — the details are straightforward and Troy will walk you through them.
Subterranean termite treatment targets the foundation perimeter of the structure, not just the visible damage sites. Because Reticulitermes flavipes colonies forage through soil and can enter a structure at multiple points along the foundation, treating only the area where surface signs appear leaves the rest of the perimeter unprotected. Termidor HE is applied around the full house perimeter and in porch slabs and garages, with additional concentration on areas of active activity — this is the standard protocol that supports the 90-day colony eradication timeline and the 15+ year residual. The inspection will identify where activity is concentrated, and Troy will explain the treatment scope before any work begins.
