Differences Between Subterranean & Drywood Termites

Location

• Drywood termites generally live in warmer climates, and are geographically concentrated between California and Florida. Subterranean termites can be found in a wider variety of different climates.

Diet and Migration

• Subterranean termites generally live underground, and on average do not travel farther than 130 feet from their colonies in search of food. Because subterranean termites do not travel far, it is possible to have termites on your property without them being considered a threat if a termite risk assessment is done. As long as they are not in your home already, they may not ever get there if their colony is far enough away.

  Drywood termites will migrate farther away to pursue wood structures.

Diet

• Drywood termites generally like to attack woods that are dry and fully cured, unlike other variations of termites known as dampwood termites. Because colonies can include up to 1 million individual insects, feeding their colony is a never-ending task. Workers can produce a chemical trail that will guide other workers to food sources. While most people think of termites as wood-eating insects, neither type of termite actually eats wood. They are unable to digest wood, and they rely on microorganisms in their stomach to break down the wood and provide nutrients for them based on their intake of that wood.

Damage Done.

• Subterranean termites are by far the biggest cause of structural termite damage in the United States, accounting for about 95 percent of the termite damage reported here, according to Do It Yourself Termite Control. This means the drywood subspecies is responsible for less than 5 percent of damage, along with dampwood termites.