10 Signs of Termites in Your Home You Should Never Ignore

Termites are often called silent destroyers, and for good reason. They eat timber from the inside out, hide behind walls and under floors, and can cause thousands of dollars in damage before a homeowner notices anything is wrong. In Perth, subterranean termites are a serious risk to homes of every age, and termite damage is rarely covered by home insurance. Knowing the early warning signs, and booking a professional Termite Inspection Perth homeowners can rely on, is the best way to catch an infestation before it becomes a costly repair. Here are the 10 signs of termites you should never ignore, along with answers to the questions Perth homeowners ask most.

What Are the First Signs of Termites?

The first signs of termites are usually small and easy to miss. The most common early warnings are mud tubes along walls or foundations, discarded wings near windows and doors, and timber that sounds hollow when tapped. Many homeowners also first notice paint that bubbles or cracks, or doors and windows that suddenly become hard to open.

Because termites avoid light and open air, you will rarely see the insects themselves until the damage is well advanced. That is why regular inspections matter so much.

10 Signs of Termites in Your Home

1. Mud Tubes on Walls, Slabs or Foundations

Subterranean termites, the most common and destructive type in Perth, build mud tubes to travel between their underground nest and a food source. These tubes protect them from light, predators and drying out. Look for them along the edge of the slab, on brick piers, in the subfloor, along skirting boards and inside garages.

2. Discarded Wings

In spring and early summer, winged termites called alates leave mature colonies to start new ones. After they land, they shed their wings. Small piles of identical, translucent wings on windowsills, near light fittings or around doorways are a strong sign that a colony is nearby, and possibly inside your home.

3. Hollow or Papery Timber

Termites eat timber from the inside, often leaving only a thin outer layer of wood or paint. If skirting boards, door frames or architraves sound hollow or papery when tapped, or a screwdriver pushes through easily, termites may have hollowed them out.

4. Bubbling or Cracked Paint

Termites bring moisture with them as they tunnel. This can cause paint to bubble, blister or peel, and it is often mistaken for water damage. If you see uneven or bubbling paint on walls, frames or skirting boards with no obvious leak nearby, have it checked.

5. Tight Doors and Windows

As termites eat into door and window frames, the moisture they produce can cause timber to warp. Doors and windows that suddenly stick, jam or become hard to close can be an early sign of termite activity.

6. Mud in Joints, Cracks and Gaps

Termites seal openings with mud to keep their environment dark and humid. Small patches of mud in cracks in plaster, gaps around door frames, joints in timber or around electrical outlets are a warning sign that is often overlooked.

7. Sagging Floors or Ceilings

Advanced termite damage can weaken structural timbers. Floors that feel spongy, sag or creak more than usual, or ceilings that droop, may indicate that floor joists, bearers or roof timbers have been attacked.

8. Faint Clicking or Rustling Sounds

Termites can sometimes be heard inside walls. Listen for quiet clicking, tapping or rustling, particularly in quiet rooms at night. This is covered in more detail below.

9. Termite Droppings or Frass

Some termite species push droppings out of the timber they are eating. Small piles of tiny pellets that look like sand, sawdust or ground coffee near timber can point to a termite problem.

10. Damaged Timber in the Garden

Termites often attack timber outside before they move into the house. Check retaining walls, fence posts, garden edging, old tree stumps, sleepers and stacked firewood. Damage close to the house means termites may already be foraging around your home.

Can You Hear Termites?

Yes, you can sometimes hear termites, although it is not a reliable way to detect them. Soldier termites bang their heads against timber when they sense a threat, which creates a faint clicking or tapping sound to warn the rest of the colony. Worker termites can also make a quiet rustling or crunching noise as they chew.

These sounds are easiest to hear in a quiet room, with your ear close to a wall or timber surface. If you hear clicking from inside a wall, avoid tapping or disturbing the area, as this can cause the termites to move. Professional inspectors use specialised tools such as thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters and radar-based termite detection devices to locate activity behind walls without causing damage.

What Do Termite Droppings Look Like?

Termite droppings, also called frass, look like tiny oval pellets about 1 millimetre long, similar in appearance to fine sand, sawdust or coffee grounds. They are often found in small piles beneath kick-out holes in timber, on windowsills or along skirting boards. Their colour varies from light tan to dark brown, depending on the timber the termites have been eating.

It is worth knowing that subterranean termites, the most common type in Perth, rarely leave visible droppings. They use their droppings to build mud tubes and line their tunnels. Visible pellets are more often linked to drywood termites, which live entirely inside the timber they eat. So the absence of droppings does not mean your home is termite free.

What Do Termite Mud Tubes Look Like?

Termite mud tubes are narrow, brown tunnels about the width of a pencil, usually between 5 and 10 millimetres wide. They are made from soil, chewed timber, saliva and droppings, and they are often found climbing up foundations, brick walls, slab edges, piers and the inside of wall cavities.

There are a few common types:

• Working tubes run from the soil up to a food source and are the most common type.
• Exploratory tubes branch out from the ground but do not connect to timber, as termites search for food.
• Drop tubes hang down from timber towards the ground and look like thin stalactites.

If you find a mud tube, do not break it open or spray it with insect spray. Disturbing termites can cause them to move to another part of your home, which makes them harder to treat. Leave it in place and call a licensed termite inspector.

Can Termites Live Inside Walls?

Yes. Termites commonly live and feed inside walls. Wall cavities give them the dark, humid and protected conditions they need, along with direct access to timber wall frames, studs, noggins and the paper facing on plasterboard.

Termites can enter a wall cavity through cracks in the slab, gaps around plumbing and service pipes, weep holes in brickwork or areas where soil, garden beds or paving have been built up above the termite barrier. Once inside, they can travel up the wall frame to the roof without ever being seen.

Signs of termites inside walls include bubbling paint, small pin holes in plasterboard, mud spots on walls, skirting boards that sound hollow and faint clicking sounds. Homes with timber frames are especially vulnerable, but brick homes are not immune, as termites can attack internal timber frames, roof trusses, door frames and flooring.

How Do You Know If Termite Damage Is Active?

The only way to know for certain whether termite damage is active is to have it inspected by a licensed professional. However, there are some signs that suggest termites are still present:

• Fresh, moist mud tubes. Active tubes look dark and damp. Old, inactive tubes are dry, crumbly and lighter in colour. If you break a small section, active termites will often repair it within a few days.
• Live termites. Small, pale, soft-bodied insects found in damaged timber or mud tubes mean the colony is active.
• New damage. Fresh mud packing, new bubbling paint or damage that is spreading suggests ongoing activity.
• Recent swarming. Discarded wings or flying termites inside the home in spring or early summer usually point to an active colony nearby.

Old termite damage from a past infestation can look very similar to current damage, which is why a professional inspection is so important. Inspectors use thermal imaging, moisture meters and termite detection tools to confirm whether termites are still present, and a detailed written report will tell you exactly where activity is and what treatment is needed. Australian Standard AS 3660.2 recommends termite inspections at least once every 12 months, and more often in high-risk areas.

What to Do If You Think You Have Termites

If you notice any of the signs above:

• Do not disturb the area. Breaking open mud tubes or damaged timber can drive termites to another part of the home.
• Do not spray them with insect spray. Surface sprays kill only a few termites and cause the rest of the colony to relocate.
• Do not remove damaged timber yourself. This can make it harder for an inspector to assess the extent of the problem.
• Book a professional termite inspection as soon as possible. The sooner termites are found, the less damage they can cause.

Book a Termite Inspection in Perth

Termites can cause major structural damage in a matter of months, but early detection makes a huge difference. Chambers Pest Solutions provides thorough pest and termite inspections across Perth and surrounds, with inspection reports from $145. Our fully licensed and insured technicians will check your home inside and out, identify any termite activity and recommend the right treatment or protection system for your property.

Call us today on 08 9313 2871 or book your termite inspection online before minor signs turn into major damage.