How to identify it
Work down these in order — the first one is usually enough on its own.
- Faecal pellets: hard, six-sided, gritty, roughly the size of coarse sand
- Small round 'kick-out' holes in wood, through which pellets are pushed out
- No mud tubes, because they do not need contact with soil
What it gets mistaken for
Most people arrive at a pest name by ruling things out. These are the ones that genuinely look similar, and the detail that separates them.
Where you will find it
- Attic framing, roof sheathing and rafters
- Window and door frames, eaves and fascia
- Wooden furniture, picture frames and hardwood flooring
- Anywhere dry, sound wood is available — no ground contact required
Signs it is already there
You will nearly always see the evidence before you see the pest itself.
- Small piles of gritty pellets on windowsills, floors or in the attic, often reappearing after being swept
- Tiny round holes in timber
- Swarmers indoors in late summer or autumn
High. Costly or fast-moving if it is left alone.
Why it is harder to deal with than it looks
Colonies live entirely within the timber, so soil treatments and perimeter barriers do nothing. Infestations are often localised, which makes finding every one of them the hard part.
What actually works
Localised treatment where the colony can be located precisely; whole-structure fumigation where it cannot. Either way this needs a licensed professional — correct identification comes first, because the treatment is completely different from subterranean termites.
Common questions
How do I tell a drywood termite from a eastern subterranean termite?
Subterranean termites build mud tubes and need soil moisture. Finding pellets rather than tubes points to drywood.
How do I tell a drywood termite from a carpenter ant?
Carpenter ant frass is fibrous and contains insect parts; drywood pellets are uniform, hard and six-sided.
Where are drywood termite usually found in a home?s
Attic framing, roof sheathing and rafters Window and door frames, eaves and fascia Wooden furniture, picture frames and hardwood flooring.
Is a drywood termite dangerous?
Less common in North Texas than subterranean termites but genuinely damaging where present, and a distinct treatment problem because colonies live inside the wood itself.
Identification guidance only. Under Texas law, applying pest control treatments for hire requires a licence from the Texas Department of Agriculture. This page describes what a pest looks like — it is not a diagnosis of your property or a treatment recommendation for it.