Look for five signs: mud tubes on the foundation, piles of identical discarded wings, hollow-sounding or blistering wood, wood-colored pellets (frass), and sagging floors or sticking doors. Any one of them justifies a professional inspection.
What are the five main termite warning signs?
- Mud tubes — pencil-width soil tunnels running up foundation walls, crawl-space piers or garage walls. Subterranean termites build them to travel between soil and wood.
- Discarded wings — piles of identical translucent wings on window sills, in spider webs or near doors. Swarmers shed their wings after a mating flight, usually in spring.
- Hollow or blistering wood — baseboards, trim or flooring that sounds papery when tapped, or paint that bubbles with no water source nearby.
- Frass — small piles of wood-colored pellets beneath tiny exit holes. This is the signature of drywood termites, which live inside the wood itself.
- Structural movement — sagging floors, sticking doors and windows. These can signal advanced damage and deserve immediate attention.
Where should I check?
Walk your foundation line (inside and out), garage, and any crawl space, looking for mud tubes and damaged wood — subterranean termites are by far the most common species in Deep East Texas, and the soil-to-wood connection is where they show first. In the attic, scan rafters and trusses for frass piles and pinholes. Around the yard, check wooden fence posts, deck supports, pine stumps and firewood piles that touch soil. Moisture-prone spots — under AC drip lines, around hose bibs, anywhere wood meets damp soil — are conducive conditions termites seek out.
When do these signs appear?
Swarms and wings cluster in spring and early summer, but in East Texas's warm, humid climate termites stay active most of the year — the Piney Woods gives them everything they need. There is no safe season. If you spot any sign — even old-looking mud tubes — assume activity until an inspection says otherwise.
What do people get wrong?
Two failure modes. First, DIY spot-spraying: killing the termites you can see does nothing to the colony, which lives in the soil or deep in the wood. Second, misidentification — flying ants are routinely mistaken for termite swarmers (and vice versa), especially in spring when carpenter ants also fly. Termite swarmers have straight antennae, equal-length wings and a thick waist; ants have elbowed antennae and pinched waists. A professional inspection settles it for certain.
How does an inspection work?
A Spot On termite inspection covers the full structure — foundation, exterior walls, eaves, garage, and accessible attic and crawl spaces — plus the conducive conditions around your property. You get a clear verdict: what species (if any) is active, what the risk points are, and what protection makes sense. Our termite treatment program uses a colony elimination system that targets the colony itself, not just the termites you can see.
What should you do next?
If you found any of these signs, request your quote today. Want to understand coverage first? Read termite bond vs. warranty, or see why invasive Formosan termites raise the stakes for homeowners in our region.
Quick questions
Are flying ants and termite swarmers the same thing?
No. Termite swarmers have straight antennae, a broad waist and two pairs of equal-length wings. Flying ants have elbowed antennae, pinched waists and unequal wings. If you're not sure, save one in a plastic bag and have an inspector confirm.
I see old mud tubes — could the termites be gone?
Possibly, but never assume so. Break a small section out of the tube and check back in a few days; if it's rebuilt, the colony is active. Either way, tubes prove termites have reached your foundation before — a professional inspection is warranted.
Do termites bite people or pets?
Termites aren't a health threat to people or pets — the risk is entirely to your home's structure, which is why the damage is measured in billions of dollars nationally every year.
Reviewed by the Spot On Pest Control team
Written and reviewed by the licensed, TDA-regulated technicians who treat homes across Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Deep East Texas every day — applied responsibly, and backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
