The 6 Most Reliable Signs of Termites
1. Mud Tubes on Foundation or Walls
Pencil-width tunnels of soil and mud running up exterior walls, along the foundation, or inside crawl spaces are the most reliable sign of subterranean termites. These tubes protect termites from light and drying as they travel between soil and wood. Even an empty mud tube is significant — it means termites have been or still are present.
2. Hollow-Sounding Wood
Tap walls, floors, and exposed wood framing with a screwdriver handle. Hollow sounds where solid wood should be indicate termites have eaten the interior, leaving only the outer shell. A screwdriver pushed into damaged wood can often penetrate the surface easily when the wood is severely damaged.
3. Frass — Drywood Termite Pellets
Small piles of tiny pellets resembling coarse sawdust or coffee grounds near baseboards, windowsills, or below wooden structures. These are the excrement pellets of drywood termites — distinctive hexagonal pellets that drywood termites push out of their galleries. This type of frass is not produced by subterranean termites.
4. Swarmer Wings Near Windows and Doors
Piles of discarded wings near light sources — windowsills, door frames, and light fixtures — after a termite swarm indicate a termite colony nearby. Reproductive termites (swarmers) emerge in spring, mate, and shed their wings. Finding wings means a mature colony has recently swarmed.
✓ Termite swarmers are often confused with flying ants. Termites have equal-length wings, straight antennae, and a thick waist. Flying ants have unequal wings, bent antennae, and a clearly pinched waist.
5. Tight-Fitting Doors and Sticking Windows
Termites produce moisture as they eat and tunnel through wood, causing wood to swell and warp. Doors and windows that suddenly become stiff, stick, or no longer close properly — especially without recent humidity or temperature changes — can indicate active termite damage in the surrounding framing.
6. Visible Wood Damage
Sagging floors, blistering or peeling paint that looks like water damage but with no water source, and wood that crumbles easily when probed. This level of visible damage usually indicates a long-term infestation. If you can see damage, a professional inspection is urgent — the structural damage may extend well beyond what is visible.
What to Do If You See These Signs
Do not wait to see if the problem progresses. Termites cause an average of $3,000 in damage per infestation and work 24 hours a day. Call (855) 424-9709 for a professional termite inspection — an exterminator will identify the species, assess the damage, and provide a written treatment recommendation and estimate.