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Because termites either live inside wood or underneath the ground, it can be very difficult for homeowners to see the wood-eating insects. However, termites often leave behind clues that they’re feasting on your home.

Here are a few of the most common signs of termite infestations:

 

Subterranean Termites: Wood Damage

The pattern in which subterranean termites feed on a piece of wood is hard to miss. These cellulose-loving insects can leave nothing behind but the wood grain. However, termite damage is usually hidden, due to the insects’ habit of eating the wood from the inside out.

 

Discarded Wings

Even if you miss an exterior termite swarm, it may not be difficult to see that it took place. Soon after swarmers take flight, they shed their wings, leaving small piles of wings behind in spider webs and on surfaces around the home’s foundation, like window sills.

 

Termite Swarmers

Swarmers from mature colonies typically spread their wings and leave their colonies in the springtime in order to start new colonies. Swarms on the exterior of a home may be missed by homeowners, as they are typically a brief event during the morning or afternoon – a time when many people are not at home. Formosan termites can also swarm at dusk.

 
 
 
 

Mud Tubes

Subterranean termites build mud tubes (also known as shelter tubes) to serve as bridges between their colony and the wood they are feasting on. These tubes are made of tiny pieces of soil, wood and debris, and are used to protect the colony from predators and conserve moisture.

 

Termite Mounds

While termites in the United States cause billions of dollars in damage every year, no North American termite species is known to build mounds. Termites that construct their colonies above ground live primarily in Africa and Australia.

 

Termite Droppings

Because termites don’t have the luxury of indoor plumbing, drywood termites often leave behind frass or droppings. These tiny fecal mounds often mean the wood above is infested with termites.