What Do Termite Droppings Look Like?

Need to get rid of termites? Read on to learn the answers to all of your important questions. Need help? Call our professionals today to get started.

Termite Droppings

Termites can do a lot of damage to a home without ever being detected. It can take years sometimes for damage from termites to even become extensive enough to be noticed. There are signs to watch out for if you are savvy about being vigilant about termites. Looking for termite droppings is one of those easy ways to tell if you might have a termite infestation.

Termite Frass

Termite droppings are referred to as frass and can be found near areas where termite activity is present. Most frass are really very small, around 1 millimeter in length. Frass often looks like sawdust or wood shavings and is often confused as such. The color of frass will depend on the type of wood that is being consumed, however, some frass can look a bit like salt and pepper. 

Not only can frass be confused for sawdust, it can also be confused for carpenter ant frass. These two types of frass look very similar. The main difference is that carpenter ants will leave their droppings around the openings of their nests while termites will typically scatter theirs. 

Different Termites, Different Frass

Varying species of termite will leave different types of droppings behind giving you both a clue that you have termites and also a clue as to which kind of termite you might have. 

Formosan termites are pretty resourceful and will use their own droppings to form tubes in basements or other kinds of ground space where there is plenty of wood for them to consume. 

Drywood termites, on the other hand, will push their frass away from their nesting area. The frass of the drywood termite looks very similar to wood shavings or sawdust making it even more difficult to discover the existence of a drywood termite population in your home.

Call A Pest Control Specialist

Finding piles of sawdust-looking material around your home is a cause for concern and can be a sign of a termite infestation. Contact Pest Control Experts to get a great recommendation for a pest control professional in your area that specializes in termites and termite control. The best way to take care of a termite problem is to have it addressed quickly and effectively. Don’t wait until it’s too late and your termite damage is extensive. Call Pest Control Experts today.