Termites are the quietest expensive problem a Worcester home can carry. Subterranean termites work out of sight, in the soil and inside wood, and a colony can feed for years before a homeowner sees a single sign. Knowing the signs — and what each one means — is the only reliable way to catch a colony before the damage is visible.
Worcester sits in active termite country, and the combination of older housing, damp basements and wood in contact with soil gives colonies what they need. The signs below are the ones the inspection looks for, and any one of them is worth a call.
TL;DR
Problem: subterranean termites feed out of sight, and the damage shows late.
Solution: learn the signs — mud tubes, swarmers, hollow wood — and get an annual inspection.
When to call: the moment you see a mud tube, swarmers, or discarded wings.
Mud tubes on the foundation
Mud tubes are pencil-wide tunnels of soil and saliva running up foundations, across crawlspaces, or through cracks in slabs. They protect termites from drying out as they travel from soil to wood, and finding a tube means finding the colony's road into the house. Do not break them all off before the visit — the inspection reads them to find the colony's route, and a broken tube hides the map.
Spring swarmers and discarded wings
In spring, winged termites leave the colony to start new ones, and they gather at windows and light fixtures. A pile of discarded wings on a windowsill means a mature colony is nearby. Swarmers are often mistaken for flying ants: termite swarmers have straight antennae, equal-length wings and a straight waist, while flying ants have elbowed antennae, uneven wings and a pinched waist. Collect a few in a jar if you can, and note the date and the room.
Hollow-sounding or damaged wood
Wood that sounds hollow when tapped, or that a screwdriver sinks into easily, may be termite-damaged. The visit probes sills, joists and support posts to map how far the damage runs. Paint that bubbles or peels on a wall with no leak, and floors that feel springy, are also worth an inspection — both can be termite damage rather than water damage.
Doors and floors that change
Doors that start sticking and floors that feel springy can be termite damage rather than settling. Termites eat the wood inside a frame or a joist while leaving the surface intact, so the first sign is often a door that no longer closes cleanly or a floor that gives underfoot. The inspection checks the framing below before anyone assumes the house has simply moved.
Steps
Look at the foundation
Walk the basement and the outside foundation line looking for mud tubes — pencil-wide soil tunnels on the wall or in the crawlspace.
Check the windows in spring
In spring, look for swarmers at windows and piles of discarded wings on sills. Note the date and the room.
Tap the wood
Tap sills, joists and posts. Wood that sounds hollow, or that a screwdriver sinks into, is worth an inspection.
Call for an inspection
Describe the sign on the call — the tube, the swarmers, the hollow wood — and the visit maps the colony's routes.