Top 5 Termite Signs To Look For In Your Home - Terminix

Contributed by: Doug Webb

Updated on: July 2, 2025

Key takeaways

• Seeing one termite could mean there's a larger colony nearby capable of causing serious structural damage to your home.
• Signs of termites in your home include hollow-sounding wood, wood damage beneath floors or walls, stuck windows and doors, drywall damage, and squeaky floors.
• Signs of a termite infestation also include mud tubes, discarded wings, swarmers (flying termites), frass (termite droppings), and moldy scents.
• A termite infestation can lead to costly repairs, especially when it affects support beams, flooring, or walls.
• Professional termite inspections and targeted treatment plans are the most reliable way to protect your home.

If you've seen a single termite, it might seem impossible that it could cause so much damage. Termites are tiny, usually only about a quarter of an inch to a half inch in length. But one single termite usually means a colony of thousands more nearby. So while the damage that one termite can cause may be minor, a whole colony of termites can cause significant damage to building structures.

Recognizing the signs of termites as early as possible is critical for termite control and minimizing costly damage. Keep reading to learn about termite infestation signs and how to protect your home.

Contact your local termite control expert for a free termite inspection.

Jump to section:

• What is a termite infestation? How do you know if you have termites?
• How big can a termite colony be?
• What are the signs of a termite infestation?
• How fast can termites cause damage?
• When should I fix my termite problem?

What is a termite infestation? How can I tell if I have termites?

A termite infestation is when members of a termite colony enter a residence or other structure. Termites' diet primarily consists of cellulose found in wood, paper, and cardboard. In nature, termites help clean up dead trees and other plant material, feeding off the cellulose in these materials. However, when present in homes and structures, a termite's appetite for cellulose can cause severe damage.

Depending on the termite species you're dealing with, signs of termites in your house may look different. The best way how to tell if you have termites is to look for these common termite infestation signs:

• Termite swarmers
• Hollow-sounding wood
• Blistered floors
• Mud tubes
• Frass or pellets

A colony of termites can have over a million individual members, hungrily munching away at any wood they get close to. Termite colonies are a complex social network consisting of a queen, workers, soldiers, and other reproductive termites. Depending on the species and each termite's social status, a termite's life cycle can last anywhere from two to 50 years, and a termite colony can survive indefinitely.

What are early warning signs of a termite infestation?

Termites behave uniquely, leaving behind evidence and identifiable damage as signs of a termite infestation. Don't ignore early warning signs of termites, this pest can quickly become an expensive problem. If left untreated, termites can wreak havoc on the structural integrity of your home. Be proactive about preventing termite damage by searching for evidence of termites in your home or property. Your local Terminix technician can work with you to develop a termite protection plan that includes an annual house termite inspection.

In the meantime, here are some signs of termites in your house:

1. Buckling or blisters in wood flooring

If your wood flooring is buckling or has blister spots, this could be evidence of termites. Subterranean termites can cause damage to the subfloor, which can make your wood flooring look discolored or have a wavy appearance on the surface. Termites prefer the softer subfloor wood or supports, so you may not notice their presence until they have done quite a bit of damage below the surface.

2. Hollowed or damaged wood

Knock on wood structures around your home and listen for a hollow sound. It's common for wood damage from termites to be found below and behind surfaces like walls and floors. These tiny pests hollow out wood studs within walls without emerging, causing them to sound empty when you tap on them. Termites chew through wood to remove the cellulose, leaving behind long grooves that may resemble a maze inside your walls or take the form of a honeycomb pattern. Over time, these grooves may weaken the wood and create structural damage.

3. Swarmers (flying termites)

Swarmers are flying termites that branched off from their colony to find mates and begin new colonies. Swarming happens at certain times of the year, and there may be hundreds or even thousands of flying termites in a swarm. If you notice a swarm of flying termites in or near your property, it is an indication that termites may have lived in the vicinity for several years.

4. Discarded termite wings

Discarded termite wings can be found near closed windows, doors, and other home-access points. Termites fly toward the windows as they are attracted to the light from outside. They intentionally twist their wings off when they land because they won't need them again. You may notice piles of these discarded wings, but that doesn't mean the termites are dead—they may be busy trying to build a new colony nearby.

5. Hard to open doors and windows

When the termites eat through the wood in search of cellulose, they cause damage to the wood, causing it to buckle or warp. This damage can make opening and closing your doors and windows difficult. Stuck windows and doors that won't fully close could be early warning signs of a termite infestation.

6. Mud tubes (termite mud tunnels)

Subterranean termites nest underground and forage up to their food source, which is often a house structure. Pencil-sized mud tubes can be found where the ground meets your house or any other possible food source, like a tree or shed. This termite species requires certain temperatures and humidity levels to survive, and their tunnels help block out cool, dry air, effectively turning your home into an environment where they can thrive.

7. Drywood termite droppings (frass)

Drywood termites nest inside of wood. While tunneling and eating the wood they're infesting, they create galleries. To keep these galleries clean, they create kick-out holes where they remove their droppings. And since drywood termites eat wood, their excrement is wood, and when they kick it out of their nest, it lands on window sills or floors and can create small mounds of pellets. These mounds of pellets, resembling sawdust or coffee grounds, may indicate the presence of drywood termites.

8. Live termites found during remodeling

If you're remodeling your home, keep an eye out for termites living in the wood you're tearing out. One of the most common ways termites are found in homes comes from renovations or remodeling. It's important to keep in mind that removing the damaged wood will not remove the infestation. Termites can be found in the soil around your home, in rotting or damp wood components of your house, or anywhere on your property where they can feed on organic matter that contains cellulose, such as tree stumps and firewood piles.

9. Damaged drywall, bubbling under paint or wallpaper

Drywall contains paper — and paper contains cellulose, a termite's primary food source. As termites chew, they will leave behind small trails, both on the surface of and inside drywall. You may notice pin-sized holes in your drywall or wallpaper where the termites have eaten their way through. Termite pinholes in drywall are capped with a small speck of dirt, and the bubbling beneath your wallpaper or paint can be evidence of termites.

10. Moldy scents

Termites like wood that is in high moisture situations, which usually includes a moldy scent. If you notice a musty smell and can't find the source, call your local Terminix termite technician for an inspection.

11. Dipping ceilings, buckling support beams or other severe structural damage

A termite infestation can cause damage to the structural elements of your building. Termites can eat through support beams, causing the beams to buckle and compromising the structural integrity of your home. For example, termite-damaged support beams can cause ceilings to dip and crack and floorboards to buckle. Their relentless tunneling can cause wood to fail. These damages can be very difficult and costly to repair.

12. Overly squeaky floors and loosening tiles

When termites eat your flooring or subflooring, they can loosen the tiles. If you have wooden floorboards, termite damage causes them to buckle and blister, resulting in more noise as you walk over them and apply pressure to the damaged areas.

How fast can termites cause damage?

How quickly termites can cause damage depends on the size and type of termite infestation. Generally, a colony of 250,000 can chew through two feet of a 2x4 in as little as five months. Large termite colonies and their voracious appetites make for a formidable pest. Termite damage builds up over time, and that's where the problem lies. Once a termite colony makes itself at home in your home, it can stay there unnoticed and continue to feed on your wood for several years.

Termite damage can be extensive and expensive to repair—especially when termites damage the structural integrity of a home. Unfortunately, even if you don't see signs of termites, that doesn't mean they're not there. Termite damage can go unnoticed, and significant structural damage may already be done by the time the damage is noticed.

When should I fix my termite problem?

plan from termite professionals. Different termite species have different behaviors, and treatment should be specific to the species you're targeting. Using the wrong DIY or over-the-counter termite solutions can often be ineffective and potentially dangerous. The best course of action is to call your local Terminix technician at the first sign of an infestation.

Click below to schedule your free inspection and ensure your home is protected from termites. Your technician will work with you to develop a personalized treatment program that's designed to help eliminate your termite problem and protect your home from termites.