Mud Tunnels & Fallen Wings – Telltale Signs of Subterranean Termites

What are subterranean termites, and how are they unique?

Subterranean termites differ from their drywood relatives in a few key ways. They nest underground, which shelters them from the elements and increases their range of habitats, whereas drywood and dampwood termites nest inside the wood structure they are destroying.

To travel between their underground nests and your home, subterranean termites construct travel chutes, commonly called “mud tubes,” which act as something of a supply super-highway, connecting their subterranean nest with the wood structures they are feasting on.

Mud tubes will look like you’d think, pencil-thin tubes that look like dirt. These can be found near your foundation and sometimes even right along the walls of your home. If you find one, consider slicing it open and checking for termites.

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Subterranean Termite Treatment

What Franz Termite does to treat subterranean termite infestations

Franz Termite treats subterranean termite infestations with a variety of localized methods.

To treat subterranean termites, the soil along the exterior perimeter of the building is treated to establish a barrier of treated soil which the termites must pass through in order to enter your home.

Subterranean termites are “social” insects like ants or bees; this means that they create and live in a highly organized colony.

Worker termites are always coming and going from your house (their food source) to their colony 24 hours a day. The termites contact the treatment product when they move through treated soil and transfer that active ingredient back into their colony. The chemical is then passed along to other workers by physical contact.

Instead of killing only the termites that contact the treated soil or repelling them from one place to another, there is the possibility of killing off the entire colony that may be attacking your house.

I Spy…A Subterranean Termite – Facts & Identification

Termite workers have somewhat similar appearances across species, but differ mainly in size.

Subterranean termites are the smallest, whereas drywood termites are a bit larger in size and the seldom-seen (in our service areas) dampwood termites can reach a full 1 mm.

The coloration of termite workers will vary by species. While they all have bulb-like bodies, subterranean termites are a milky white, while drywood termites are off-white and dampwood termites are an opaque, beige color.

You can also identify termites by their castes, namely, swarmers and soldiers.

While you might not find a whole swarmer on its own (they look similar to winged ants) you may be able to identify piles of wings that the swarmers will sometimes leave around after entering your home.

Subterranean Termite Wings on a Windowsill (Image: NC State – Entomology Dept)

Swarmers tend to be found near windowsills, with subterranean swarmers often dying with their wings attached (as opposed to drywood swarmers, which almost always shed their wings). Furthermore, subterranean swarmers wings have two thick veins inside them, while drywood swarmers have three to four.

Soldiers’ distinct differences appear mostly on their heads. Subterranean soldiers have rectangular heads with “toothless” (smooth) mandibles, while drywood termites have rounded heads with toothy-looking mandibles.