How Can I Tell If I Have Termites?

Identifying Termites And Damages Caused By These Pests

There are three main indicators of termite infestation: swarming insects, mud tubes, and wood damage.

Swarming Termites

Termites live their lives deep in the soil where they can go undetected for years. Your first indication of termite presence may be swarming insects. When a termite colony becomes overpopulated, thousands of winged reproducers exit the nest in search for new food sources. In New Jersey and New York, swarms usually occur on warm days between March and May, often after a rain. You may see masses of winged insects milling near outside foundations or in lawns before taking flight. Swarming termites are attracted to light. If they emerge indoors, you will find them along windowsills, doors and light fixtures. A litter of discarded wings on window sills, floors or caught in spider webs is a telltale sign of termite infestation.

Termites are often confused with swarming ants which also swarm in the spring. Termites have straight antennae, a uniform waist, and wings of equal size; whereas ants have elbowed antennae, constricted waists, and forewings that are longer than their hind wings.

Mud Tubes

Mud tubes are another sign of termite infestation. About the width of a pencil, workers build these flat, dirt-colored tubes from soil mixed with feces to navigate exposed surfaces. Mud tubes are commonly found on concrete foundation walls, along cracks, under flooring or behind siding.

Wood Damage

Actual wood damage may be hardest to detect as termites do much of their damage out of sight behind walls and baseboards and under flooring. Discovery is often by accidental when the thin veneer left on hollowed wood is broken, exposing the damage and sometimes active worker termites. Wood damage can sometimes be detected by tapping and listening for a hollow sound, though this will not always expose areas of active infestation.