8 Signs of Termites: How to Identify an Infestation (2026)

Pencil-width tubes made of soil and saliva running up foundation walls, pipes, or other structures. Termites build these to travel between soil and wood while maintaining humidity. Break one open: if you see live, white insects inside, the infestation is active.

Termites eat wood from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer on the surface. Tap structural wood (door frames, baseboards, floor joists) with a screwdriver handle. If it sounds hollow or papery, termites may have consumed the interior. Press a screwdriver into the wood: if it penetrates easily, the damage is significant.

Reproductive termites (swarmers) emerge from mature colonies to start new ones, usually in spring after rain. They look like small, dark-bodied insects with two pairs of equal-length wings. After landing, they shed their wings. You may find piles of translucent wings near windows, doors, or light sources.

Drywood termites push their fecal pellets out of small holes in the wood. Frass looks like tiny, six-sided pellets about the size of a grain of sand, often forming small piles below infested wood. The color matches the wood being consumed: light tan, dark brown, or reddish.

Subterranean termites traveling beneath flooring or behind walls can cause paint to blister, bubble, or appear water-damaged. The moisture termites introduce into the wood causes the paint or finish to separate. Often mistaken for water damage.

Visible structural damage: sagging floors, buckling ceilings, warped door or window frames. This indicates long-term, severe infestation where termites have compromised load-bearing elements. The internal wood structure has been significantly consumed.

Soldier termites bang their heads against the wood or shake their bodies to signal danger to the colony. In a quiet room, you may hear faint clicking or rustling sounds coming from inside walls. Worker termites are also noisy eaters, producing a faint crunching sound.

As termites consume wood in door frames and window frames, the structural shape changes. Doors and windows may become difficult to open or close. The frames may feel soft or spongy. Often attributed to humidity or settling, but if it is sudden and localized, termites are a likely cause.