How to identify it
Work down these in order — the first one is usually enough on its own.
- Swarmers have four wings of equal length, much longer than the body, which detach very easily
- No waist — the body is roughly the same width front to back
- Straight, bead-like antennae
- Workers cannot tolerate open air, which is why they build mud tubes
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
- In soil, entering through the slab perimeter, expansion joints and plumbing penetrations
- Behind foundation plantings where the slab edge is hidden
- Inside garages, at the base of the wall behind stored items
- Piers, sill plates and floor framing in pier-and-beam homes
Signs it is already there
You will nearly always see the evidence before you see the pest itself.
- Pencil-width mud tubes running up foundation walls or piers
- A small pile of identical discarded wings on a windowsill or in a bath, usually in spring
- Wood that sounds hollow when tapped, or gives under moderate pressure
- Bubbled or rippled paint near the floor
High. Costly or fast-moving if it is left alone.
Why it is harder to deal with than it looks
The colony lives in the soil, often many feet from the structure, and can number in the hundreds of thousands. No retail product reaches it. Spraying visible termites or breaking open a mud tube destroys the evidence an inspector needs and can cause the colony to abandon that route and build another somewhere you will not find it.
What actually works
Either a continuous treated zone in the soil around the structure, or a monitored bait system. Both are professional applications. If you find evidence, photograph it and leave it undisturbed. Check whether the property already carries a termite warranty before paying anyone — if one is live, the original company may owe a free re-treatment.
Common questions
How do I tell a eastern subterranean termite from a carpenter ant?
Winged carpenter ants have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae and front wings longer than the hind ones. This is the single most consequential misidentification in North Texas.
How do I tell a eastern subterranean termite from a drywood termite?
Drywood termites need no soil contact and leave gritty faecal pellets rather than mud tubes.
Where are eastern subterranean termite usually found in a home?s
In soil, entering through the slab perimeter, expansion joints and plumbing penetrations Behind foundation plantings where the slab edge is hidden Inside garages, at the base of the wall behind stored items.
Is a eastern subterranean termite dangerous?
The most expensive pest problem a North Texas homeowner is likely to face. Damage accumulates out of sight, often for years, before anything is visible.
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.