Signs of Subterranean Termite Infestation in North Texas

The Signs of Subterranean Termite Activity

Subterranean termites work inside wood and soil and rarely expose themselves in the open. These are the signs that appear at the surface:

• Mud tubes on the foundation. Subterranean termites build pencil-thin mud tubes – about the diameter of a drinking straw – to travel between the soil and the wood in your structure while staying protected from air exposure. These tubes run up foundation walls, across concrete, over exposed pipes, and along interior stem walls. Finding mud tubes on your foundation is the most reliable surface indicator of active subterranean termite activity. Break a section open: if termites (small, pale, soft-bodied) are visible inside, the colony is actively using it.
• Swarmers and discarded wings. Each spring, established termite colonies produce winged reproductives (alates) that swarm to start new colonies. Swarms in North Texas typically occur from February through May, triggered by warm temperatures and rain. Finding winged insects emerging from the soil near the foundation, or piles of discarded wings near windows and doors, indicates an established colony nearby. Swarmers are often mistaken for flying ants – the distinction matters because the response is different.
• Wood that sounds hollow when tapped. Subterranean termites consume wood from the inside out, leaving a thin surface layer intact. Wood beams, baseboards, door frames, or subfloor that sounds hollow when tapped – or that gives slightly under finger pressure in a way it should not – may have been hollowed by termite feeding.
• Blistered or buckled paint on walls. Termite activity behind drywall creates moisture that causes paint to bubble or blister without any visible water leak. This is often the first interior sign and is frequently attributed to humidity before the actual cause is identified.
• Frass near baseboards or wood surfaces. Drywood termites (less common than subterranean in Collin County but present) push frass – small pellets that look like sawdust or coffee grounds – out of small holes in wood. Subterranean termites rarely produce visible frass at the surface.

What Subterranean Termites Risk to Your Home

Subterranean termites consume cellulose – wood, paper, and plant fiber. Inside a structure they target:

• Wall framing studs and plates, which provide structural support
• Subfloor sheathing and floor joists, which support the floors you walk on
• Roof rafters and sheathing in areas with attic moisture
• Door and window frames
• Any wood in contact with or near the soil – fence posts, deck posts, wood mulch against the foundation

The financial risk is significant. Termite damage is typically excluded from standard homeowner’s insurance policies – it is classified as a maintenance issue, not a sudden loss. Structural repair after significant termite damage commonly runs into tens of thousands of dollars.

The only reliable protection is professional termite treatment – liquid termiticide applied to the soil around the foundation, bait station systems, or both. Annual inspections by a licensed termite professional catch activity before structural damage accumulates. Termite control in McKinney and Collin County is one of the highest-value pest services a homeowner can maintain.