Individual termites may look harmless enough, but in a colony, they pack a destructive punch. Knowing what termites look like and learning to recognize the common signs of termite activity will help you protect your home. We packed this guide with detailed descriptions and visual aids to help you spot the warning signs when inspecting your home for termites.

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Appearance of Workers, Soldiers, and Reproductives

Termites live in highly structured colonies with three castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives (also known as swarmers or alates). Each termite class has its own distinct role and appearance.

Workers

Workers are the builders and caretakers of a termite colony. Their color ranges from white to cream. They have soft, pale bodies that measure around a fourth of an inch—like a long grain of rice—with a round head, six legs, and two antennae.

Termite workers spend their lives foraging for food, building and repairing the colony’s intricate network of tunnels, and tending to the young. They’re both sightless and wingless, and one of their most important jobs is to feed and groom the other castes. They use their bead-like antennae to navigate, detect food and threats, and communicate with other termites.

Worker termites make up 90%–98% of the colony. They may be either male or female, but as workers, they don’t reproduce. Given their size and the concealed nature of their activities, worker termites are less likely to be spotted than other castes.

Soldiers

Soldiers are the guardians of the termite colony. They have pale bodies similar to worker termites, but they tend to be slightly larger. Their heads are also larger, harder, and darker than their bodies, with prominent mandibles.

You can identify soldier termites by their blocky, orangish-brown heads. Though their bodies are just as vulnerable as those of worker termites, their heads are heavily armored. They have strong jaws for defending their colony from ants and other invaders.

Soldier ants rely on workers for food. In exchange, the soldiers protect the other castes. If you disturb a termite tunnel, soldiers will appear to investigate the breach.

Reproductives

Once a year, termite colonies erupt in a flurry of reproductive activity. Members of the reproductive caste, also known as swarmers or alates, emerge from their tunnels and take flight in search of a mate. The sudden swarm of tiny winged insects in the spring may be the first clue you’re dealing with a termite infestation.

You can distinguish alates from other termites by their dark brown or black bodies. They’re also the only termite class to have wings. These wings are either translucent or smokey gray. Both sets of wings are longer than the flying termite’s body but equal in length to each other. Termite wings are relatively simple compared to other species, with few prominent veins.

Termite swarmers start life with the pale, wingless bodies of worker termites. However, they eventually undergo a transformation that sets them apart. Their reproductive organs mature, and they develop two sets of temporary wings. Reproductive termites descend to the ground and look for a nesting site after pairing off in the swarm. Their wings fall off and they set out to start a new colony.

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What Color Are Termites?

Termites come in a range of colors that reflect their role within the colony. Coloring also varies between termite species.

Black Termites

Most black termites belong to the reproductive caste, which means you’re most likely to spot them in termite swarms. The alates of both eastern and western subterranean termites have brownish-black exoskeletons. Many drywood termite species also have black or dark brown bodies.

A termite with a dark head and a pale body means you’ve found a termite soldier. West Indian drywood termite soldiers, for instance, have black, square heads.

White Termites

The vast majority of termites have white or cream-colored bodies. Almost all worker termites lack pigmentation, and workers make up most of a colony. Termite eggs and larvae are white and often translucent. Most termite soldiers have white bodies, but their heads are darker. Remember, though, that spotting white termites outside their tunnels is rare.

Brown (Amber) Termites

Some termites are brown or amber. Formosan termite swarmers, for instance, are yellowish-brown, while western drywood swarmers have orange-brown heads and dark brown bodies. You might also see termite soldiers with brown heads.

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Mud Tubes and Shelter Tubes

Have you ever seen snakelike trails of hardened mud winding across a foundation wall? Those mysterious structures are subterranean termite mud tubes that they use to safely travel above ground when needed.

Subterranean termites need a humid environment to survive. This isn’t a problem below ground, but open-air travel can be risky. Termites that need to venture above ground construct mud tubes to prevent dehydration and death. Think of them as meandering highways of hardened soil that stretch from point A (an underground tunnel) to point B (a new food source).

Termite mud tubes are made from a mixture of soil and saliva. They’re about the width of a pencil and the color of cardboard. Though they’re most commonly seen outside along brick foundations or concrete slabs, you might see them along interior walls, pipes, or insulation. Termites build mud tubes when a hard or inedible surface forces them to take a detour.

In addition to locking in moisture, mud tubes provide a layer of protection from predators. Termites have soft, vulnerable bodies. Shelter tubes help shield them from spiders, lizards, and predatory insects.

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Wood Damage from Termites

You can remove mud tubes easily, but termites will still cause severe damage if they reach your home’s framing or other wooden structures. Telltale signs of termite damage include discolored, warped, and blistered wood. Uneven floorboards, sagging ceilings, pinhole openings, and warped windows or doors may also indicate a termite infestation.

The nature of the damage will vary depending on the type of termite.

• Dampwood termites: Listen for hollow sounds in damp wood and check for tunnels that cross the grain.
• Drywood termites: Look for kick-out holes, which resemble tiny puncture marks in the wood. Drywood termites use these holes to expel the frass from their tunnels.
• Subterranean termites: As discussed, subterranean termites create mud tubes, and they also hollow out wooden structures.

Rotten wood crumbles or feels spongy, but termite-damaged wood will sound hollow when tapped. You might also see frass nearby. Frass can be mistaken for sawdust at first glance, but it’s actually the six-sided fecal pellets that termites leave behind as they chew through wood.

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Drywood vs. Subterranean Termites

Scientists have identified over 2,000 species of termites, which fall into three common types: drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites. Dampwood termites do eat wood, but they usually infest rotting logs and fallen trees rather than manmade structures. As a homeowner, you’ll primarily need to look out for drywood and subterranean termites. Both wreak havoc on wood, but they differ in their appearance, habitat, and behavior. Here’s what you need to know:

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Termites vs. Lookalikes

Many homeowners confuse termites with other insects that look or behave similarly, such as ants, powderpost beetles, and carpenter bees.

Termites vs. Ants

Both ants and termites have segmented bodies, six legs, and antennae. Termite alates, in particular, can be mistaken for flying ants thanks to their darker coloring. However, their wings and waistlines give them away. Here’s how to tell the difference between flying ants and termite alates by appearance.

• Ant swarmers have a pinched waist and wings of mismatched size.
• Termites have no defined waist between their thorax and abdomen, and all four wings are equal in length.
• Termites have straight antennae, while ants have bent antennae.

Another key difference lies in their behavior. Carpenter ants dig tunnels and nest in wood, much like drywood termites. However, unlike termites, they don’t actually eat wood—they merely excavate it.

Termites vs. Powderpost Beetles

Both termites and powderpost beetles eat wood. However, powderpost beetle frass is finer and more powdery than termite droppings—like the difference between coffee grounds and flour. Their exit holes may also be more noticeable than termite kick-out holes.

Powderpost beetles are reddish-brown to black with hard exoskeletons, uneven wings, and a narrower waistline. Meanwhile, termites have a more distinct head and a softer body.

Termites vs. Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees don’t actually eat wood. They bore through wood and leave behind piles of sawdust that homeowners might mistake for termite frass.

The distinction between carpenter bees and termites is relatively easy to make. Carpenter bees are much larger, with black-and-yellow coloring similar to a bumblebee. Their tunnels are round holes about half an inch in diameter and are typically localized, which means they cause less structural damage than termites.

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Our Conclusion

You can tell termites from lookalikes and other wood-destroying pests with a keen eye and some detective work. You can determine if you have a termite problem by looking for clues such as hollow-sounding wood, mud tubes, coarse frass, and swarmers with two identical pairs of wings.

Remember, early detection is crucial for termites to be deterrable. Termites can seriously compromise the structural integrity of your home, so you’ll want to deal with a potential infestation as quickly as possible. We don’t recommend DIY termite treatments. You’ll do a better job of protecting your investment in your home by hiring a professional pest control company or exterminator to get rid of termites.

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FAQ About Identifying Termites

What bugs look like termites?

Bugs that look like termites include powderpost beetles, carpenter ants, and winged ant swarmers. However, these lookalikes have more defined waists than termites and wings of unequal lengths.

Where do termites enter homes first?

Termites usually enter homes first through cracks in the foundation, pipes, or around doors and windows. They can also access homes through plumbing systems or firewood stored indoors.

Can I see termites crawling?

Termites are large enough to spot with the naked eye, but you aren’t likely to see them crawling around. Termites prefer darkness and moisture, and both workers and soldiers spend their lives inside their tunnels. You’re more likely to notice mud tubes, frass, blistered wood, or seasonal swarms of winged termites.

How do termites get inside walls?

Termites get inside walls through existing cracks, moisture pathways, or their own tunnels. They can then create intricate networks or tunnels that may go unnoticed for years.

What’s the difference between ants and termites?

The difference between ants and termites lies in their body shape, antennae, and wings. Flying ants have a pinched waist, bent antennae, and unequal wing sizes, while termites have an undefined waist, straight antennae, and equal wing sizes.

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