Termite evidence

Termites cause a ton of damage to homes every year in the U.S., billions of dollars worth according to the EPA. They can be very hard to find but there are some common was to identify termites if you’re in California.

Subterranean termites are the most common we encounter. You will usually see a mud tube growing out of your wall (see picture below) or if the time is right you may see a swarm or wings on your window sill. The mud tubes look a little like coral reefs and will often “re-grow” after you knock them down. The swarm will be a lot of flying bugs seemingly out of the blue which almost look like ants. If you see wings on the window sill, look closely at the wings for a dark line on the edge.

Dry wood termites are also very common in many areas of California. These termites are a little bigger than Subterraneans, have a maroon head with black body and the s warmers also have wings. The swarms are much smaller than the subterranean termite swarms but the wings are bigger.

The most common thing you’ll see is what’s called frass. This is their poop and is basically wood minus cellulose. It will usually look like grains of sand on a window sill or a baseboard. Sometimes you will see a small mound of them (see picture below for reference). The other thing you may see are the wings or even the swarmers. Most homeowners will have a tough time telling the difference between a subterranean termite wing and a dry wood termite wing. There a difference in the vain structure and the size. Best bet if you see one is to put it in a ziplock bag and call a company (like us) out ASAP.