Drywood Termites

Drywood termites live in drywood and therefore can be found in almost any place inside your home. Of the hundreds of drywood termite species, only a handful are found in the United States.

One subspecies of the drywood termite is the “Powderpost” termite, which is commonly found in the southeastern and middle parts of North America. This type will commonly build nests inside of wooden furniture. Western drywood termites are another subspecies that mainly inhabits the western side of the United States.

Colonies of drywood termites tend to be relatively small in comparison to subterranean termites. However, the drywood specie lives in the wood itself and will tunnel along the grain of the wood instead of building mud tunnels like subterranean termites. Drywood termites also do not require any contact with soil in order to survive.

To start a colony, a male and female termite pair will work their way into the wood chosen for the nest. The opening through which they enter the wood is sealed with a plug of brown cement-like material, about 1/8-inch in diameter. They then excavate a chamber behind the plug where the queen lays the first eggs.

Drywood termites can be identified by their fecal pellets that are 6 sided and concave on each side. They will also leave behind a finely powdered wood which resembles fine sawdust.