One of the scariest aspects of a subterranean termite infestation is that the termites often flourish undetected until costly damage has already occurred. The goal of the homeowner here is to find and stop the termites before the damage gets out of hand. The best approach for early detection would be to regularly enlist the services of a licensed pest control operator for a professional inspection.

In the meantime, homeowners can periodically inspect around the house and property for signs of infestation. Evidence of ground termites may be one or more of the following:

A sagging door or floor Leaks in the roof A warped wall A hollow sounding beam Discolored or blistered paint Depressions in wood Moisture collecting in unusual places Springy floors or steps Mud tunnels or flight slits Carton material found in wall voids Interruptions in power or communications Wood rot (may attract termites)

Mud tunnels coming through a crack in the concrete at a cold joint.

Flight slits (a severe case)		Mud tunnels on a pier

Commonly overlooked during inspections are the carpet anchor strips. These are typically 1" x 1/2" strips of wood that run the length of the carpet along the walls and along carpet seams. These strips contain tiny nails which anchor the carpet, and are commonly made of untreated wood. These can be inspected by poking a screwdriver or ice pick in the carpet against a wall and lifting it up, exposing the strip.

Unusual power/phone outages which have no obvious causes can sometimes be traced to subterranean termites:

Termites chewed through the insulation of this underground power cable and caused a short.		The insulation of this conduit was chewed by termites.		An electrical outlet invaded by subterranean termites.

Evidence of drywood termite infestation takes a somewhat different form from that of ground termites. While outward evidence of ground termites may involve mud tunnels and carton material, drywood termites sometimes leave tell-tale piles of frass, or droppings.

Frass looks like little piles of sand. The color can range from a light sandy appearance to dark red or brown, or a combination of these colors.

Frass in a cabinet

Wherever there is frass, there are kick-out holes. Drywood termites use these holes to expel the frass from their galleries. The holes are about 1 mm in diameter and may sometimes be difficult to locate. The holes are usually plugged up and can be the same color or darker in color than the surrounding wood.

Closeup of a kick-out hole