I’ve heard it said that 1 in every 4 houses in Texas has Wood-Destroying Insects (WDI), but there is no conclusive evidence to support this statistic. What is proven is that Texas has one of the highest concentrations of termites in the United States. It’s also a fact that both East and West Texas has been classified as Termite Infestation Probability Zones #1 and #2 (respectively), which indicates a significant potential for termite damage. Newly constructed homes are also at risk of WDI infestation, as WDI have been found in houses that were only four days old. Because of the high likelihood of WDI in Texas, we at Upright Professional Inspections always recommended a WDI inspection before the purchase of any home or business, regardless of its age.
In 2024, The New York Times published a study which estimated the total biomass of all the termites in the world to be 445 million tons, while the biomass of all humans is only estimated to be around 120 million tons. In other words, there are over 49 million termites for every 1 human. If that’s not scary enough, the more we use pesticides, the more resistant WDI become. It’s also important to note that this study only includes termites, not any other type of WDI.
When given the opportunity, these pests will destroy all of the wood on your property. If left unchecked, they will destroy your trees and landscaping, then eat their way to your house and compromise the structural integrity of your home. This damage could create safety hazards, be expensive to repair, and diminished property value.
Understanding the behaviors of these pests is crucial in detecting an infestation because their activity is often hidden. First, let me start by emphasizing the fact that they are not called wood-eating insects—they are called wood-destroying insects. They don’t just eat; they also bore, tunnel, and carve galleries for nesting. Second, rotten or decayed wood acts as an inviting entry point or breeding ground for WDI, and neglecting this can lead to an active infestation. Let’s take a look at a few specific types of WDI found in Texas.
In Texas, the most common WDI are Eastern Subterranean Termites, but there are also 3 other types of termites (Western, Formosan and Drywood), Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, Powderpost Beetles, Old House Borers, Bark Beetles, and Wood Borers, not to mention WDIs that are brought into your house from wood furniture manufactured outside the state or country.
Subterranean Termites get their name from the underground colonies which they build. Like ants, they travel out from their colony in all directions in search of food. They eat cellulose, which comprises 40-50 percent of wood and provides structural integrity to the wood. Once they find a source of food, they will build a tunnel to it out of mud, to protect them from predators and environmental elements. This is why they are often unseen and cause over five billion dollars in damage to homes and other buildings in the United States annually.
Even though Formosan Termites were first found in Texas in 1956, they have become common and are known to cause significant damage. These are another type of subterranean termite that build colonies underground and create mud tubes to protect themselves as they travel to food sources. They swarm between April and July, which is when an infestation is most likely. They are attracted to light, so you will often find them around windows, doors, and even near light fixtures.
Carpenter Ants do not eat wood; they carve galleries into wood that is moist and decaying for nesting. They swarm between late winter and spring. Reproductive ones have wings, but foragers do not. They typically have a large nest outside a house and several satellite nests within. It’s sometimes possible to locate a parent nest by following the line of foraging carpenter ants from a satellite nest back to their parent nest.
Carpenter bees are commonly mistaken for bumble bees, due to their similar size and coloration but, unlike Bumblebees, they have shiny, hairless abdomens. Other carpenter bees, called Ceratina bees, are much smaller bees that are dark bluish-green in color. They’re not aggressive and typically won’t sting you unless provoked or handled. They tunnel into wood to create nesting chambers, often leaving round, entrance holes and accumulations of sawdust-like debris, called frass, around the entry points. A single nest can be up to ten inches long, so they can cause a lot of damage. Common Carpenter bees live for several years and can be found year-round, while Ceratinas tend to be most active during April and May.
While there are many other types of WDI, the last one I want to tell you about is Old House Borers, also known as “long-horned beetles.” Learning their life cycle is the best way to understand their potential dangers. Adults will emerge from infested wood during the late summer months to mate, and the females will find cracks and crevices in any nearby wood to lay up to 200 eggs. After about 10 days the eggs will hatch, and each larva will bore into the wood to feed, growing to a minimum of 200mg. Depending on the wood type, moisture content, and temperature, the larvae can continue to bore and feed for up to 15 years. They bore through wood, which compromises its structural integrity, and make holes known as galleries. The larvae look similar to worms, so they are often referred to as “woodworms.” As the larvae feed, they make a faint clicking sound that can be heard through walls by homeowners. Once fully grown, each larva will create a pupal cell (cocoon) near the surface of the wood and transform into a pupa. Adults emerge from the cells and bore through the surface of the wood to start the cycle again.
As a homeowner, you should always be aware of WDI behaviors and perform basic visual inspections of your house as you go about your daily routine. When you cut the grass next to the house, be on the lookout for mud tubes. When you’re cleaning the windows, look for frass or discarded wings. When you enter or exit your house, look for discolored wood and flying insects next to wood on your house. Early detection depends on recognizing signs of infestation. Some of the most common indicators include:
If you notice any combination of these signs, it is crucial to consult a WDI pest control professional as soon as possible to verify and manage the pests.
In addition to the looking for signs of infestation, you should also be aware of what conditions make your property more susceptible to infestations. These conducive conditions include: excess moisture with poor ventilation, rotten or decayed wood, and wood that contacts the ground.
Prevention is always better than treatment. The most effective and inexpensive way to safeguard your property is to eliminate conducive conditions. First and foremost, replace any rotten or decayed wood immediately because it’s the most enticing entry point for WDI. When replacing wood, consider using fiber-cement boards, treated lumber, or other resistant materials that are less susceptible to WDI.
It’s recommended that all wooden siding and structural members are at least 6 inches above the ground because when there is direct wood-to-ground contact, it prevents mud tubes from being formed and hides infestations. Also, moisture from the ground will saturate and weaken the wood, making it more enticing for WDI. If your grade (ground level) is within 6” of your siding around the majority of your house, dig a trench that is about 6” deep and 2’ wide around the perimeter and fill it with river rock. This will keep your grade the same height as the rest of the yard but will also allow air and sunlight to reach the foundation and siding, both prevent your foundation and siding from being over-saturated and making it easy to see any mud tube that are formed by WDI.
Building code requires foliage (bushes and plants) to be a minimum of four 4” away from the house and for tree limbs to be a minimum of 2’ from the house. This prevents the siding from being damaged or over-saturated. It also prevents WDI from building a nest in the foliage and having easy access to the house.
Some people or companies will recommend preventative chemical treatments, but we only recommend this type of treatment if you find signs of an infestation on your property and want to prevent it from spreading to your house. All chemical treatments contribute to increased resistance in WDIs, so limiting conducive conditions and having regular inspections is the best way for us to manage WDI long-term, as a society. Treating, when you have no signs of an infestation, contributes unnecessarily to a growing problem.
While you can perform basic visual inspections yourself, it’s recommended that you hire licensed, experienced professionals, who specialize in WDI to perform regular inspections of your property. There are two types of WDI professionals: technicians and certified applicators. Technicians are entry-level professionals, who have had training and passed a test regarding the fundamentals of WDI, but are required to work under a certified applicator. Certified applicators must have worked as a technician for over a year and pass a final, comprehensive test to become licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Professionals are recommended because they systematically navigate every part of the house, including crawl spaces and attics, if possible, in order to perform a thorough visual inspection of the property. They note all conducive conditions, indications of pests, and evidence of previous or active infestations. Their experience and attention to detail are your most reliable option for early detection and management of WDI.
While it’s typical for WDI professionals to go over their finding with you while they are on site, it’s also common to receive a written report. Reports are given upon request and must be supplied within 7-10 business days of the inspection. They are often required during a real estate transaction. The report will often include a few disclaimers because inspections are limited to visible and accessible areas. The disclaimers on the report include:
“Inspection does not cover any condition or damage which was not visible in or on the structure(s) at the time of inspection but which may be revealed in the course of repair or replacement work.”
“The WDI inspecting company cannot guarantee or determine that work performed by a previous pest control company, as indicated by visual evidence of previous treatment; has rendered the pest(s) inactive.”
“THIS IS NOT A STRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORT OR A WARRANTY AS TO THE ABSENCE OF WOOD DESTROYING INSECTS.”
If you have reason to suspect an infestation, such as hearing a clicking sound coming from a wall in your house, but can’t see any signs of an infestation on either side of the wall, inspections with thermal imaging can be performed to look inside the wall. In extreme cases, where thermal inspections do not reveal a suspected infestation, an invasive inspection will have to be performed. Invasive inspections involve removing parts of the drywall to expose the wooden structure for visual inspection and probing.
Routine inspections are key to early detection and management of WDI. An inspection is only as good as the inspector’s thoroughness, so having licensed professionals perform these inspections increases the likelihood of early detection. While extensive and invasive inspections can be performed, the standard visual inspection by a licensed professional is all that is necessary in the majority of cases.
The frequency of inspections depends on the following factors: the age of your house, if you’re your house has a history of infestation, your house’s proximity to wooded or humid areas, and if recent construction has been done on or near your property. For new homes, a comprehensive inspection before purchase is critical. After that, regular inspections every one to two years are recommended. Older homes, especially those that have experienced prior infestations, benefit from annual inspections. If your house is adjacent to wooded or dry, humid areas, we recommend inspections every six months. Additionally, construction activities can sometimes disturb existing colonies or introduce new pests, so inspections are recommended after every renovation project.
The primary goal of WDI treatments is to eliminate existing infestations, and the secondary is to create a protective barrier which temporarily prevents WDI activity. Each method or combination of methods is used to treat a specific type of infestation. The effectiveness and longevity of the treatments depends on the method used and environmental factors, such as soil moisture levels and local termite activity. If you have an infestation, a WDI Professional will be able to help you determine which treatment will be best for your specific situation.
WDI can cause severe damage to your home, which could create a safety hazard and be expensive to repair. Be vigilant in eliminating conducive conditions and keeping an eye out for any signs of an infestation. Schedule regular inspections with a licensed professional. If you suspect any type of infestation, consult a licensed pest control professional without delay, because application of pesticides must be made by licensed professionals. Then continue to look for signs of WDI, because they’re always looking for food.
I want to thank Paula Vaught for helping me write this guide. She is a licensed WDI Applicator for the State of Texas and has been working as an inspector for approximately 10 years. Without her inspiration and guidance, this guide would not exist.