Visual Signs of Termites

Swarms of Winged Termites

• One of the first visual signs of termite infestation is swarms of winged adult termites that collect on window sills or another source of light indoors. These swarms usually gather in spring but may sometimes be seen in the fall. These winged termites are adults that have left the nest to establish a new colony of their own.

Piles of Wings

• Termites will shed their wings once they establish a new colony. Shedding their wings also makes it easier to walk on the ground. The wings are translucent or a pale white color. Termite wings may be found around the foundation of the house and on window sills. Subterranean termites have a black body with white or translucent wings, and drywood termites have a red body with black wings.

Damaged Wood

• Damaged wood from termite infestation may be found anywhere wood is close to or in contact with soil, such as the foundation of the house, in the basement and on porches. The wood around windows, door frames and pipes entering the house can also be damaged by termites. Damaged wood will sound hollow when tapped on. Termite-damaged wood will be extremely soft and collapse if probed with a knife.

Mud Tunnels

• Subterranean termites use mud tunnels, or mud tubes, to protect themselves from other insects and fluctuations in temperature. Mud tubes help to identify the presence of termites in wood. Mud tubes may be pencil-size in width and found on the surface of walls, or between boards and beams.

Fecal Pellets

• Drywood termites will leave fecal pellets beneath the wood that is infested. The pellets may look like a pile of sand on the ground. The pellets, if viewed with a magnifying glass, are elongated and have rounded ends with slightly depressed or flattened surfaces that are separated by ridges.