There are a few ways you can check for termites.

Besides looking for termite damage, where small changes in the structure may be hard to notice, you can also place wood blocks in the ground around your house.

Termites are attracted to moisture, so they will gather around the wooden blocks if they are nearby.

Another option is to use a metal detector to check for termites in the ground.

Or, even better, you can have a professional come in and do an inspection of your property to search for evidence of termites.

How do you tell if termites are in your walls?
If you see mud-coloured stains on your walls, termites might be responsible. If this is the case, you should contact a pest control service to initiate a wall inspection and pest control plan.

Where are termites usually found in a house?
Termites may be found in various places in a house, depending on the species and conditions.

For example, Coptotermes formosanus, the Formosan subterranean termite, is common in wood and paper products, such as furniture and books. These termites may also inhabit plaster and piles of sawdust.

Cryptotermes brevis, the drywood termite, is usually found in dark, dry locations like furniture and clothing.

Some species of termites inhabit and infest many parts of a home and property. M. perniciosus, the most common species in Australia, may be found in the walls, behind wallpaper and in the roof.

Many different insects can be mistaken for termites, so it is crucial to identify the insect before starting a treatment.

One of the most common things that people mistake for termites are ants.

Contrary to what people think, ants do not eat wood. Some species, like carpenter ants, may damage wood, but not to the same extent as termites.

On the other hand, Termites have a voracious appetite for the moist cellulose in wood and will cause significantly more damage in a shorter time.

How do you tell if a bug is a termite?
Many breeds or types of termites can be identified by their size, appearance, and behaviour.

One of the most common ways to diagnose a termite is the “track test,” where a small amount of a diluted substance composed of a natural oil or peanut butter is spread on a cardboard surface.

Termite tracks will appear on the surface of the card. These tracks will have a recessed appearance and be between one and two millimetres in length and resemble a pencil line.

Termites are brown, soft-bodied, six-legged, social insects. Subterranean termites are most often recognised by the mound of mud they build in the open. This mound houses the queen, king, and thousands of termite offspring.

The easiest way to tell if a bug is a termite is by looking at the abdomen.

Although the legs on termites vary between species, two will always protrude from the thorax and four from the abdomen. If the bug appears only to have two segments (the head and abdomen), it is likely a termite. If the bug has three clear parts (the head, thorax, and abdomen), it’s probably an ant.

Are white ants the same as termites?
Many people use the term “white ants” to describe an insect they have seen in the home due to its light colour, size, and shape.

But these “white ants” are termites.

Termites and ants belong to different species but can have similar appearances. Generally, ants are darker in colour, so it may be a termite if you see a “white ant” or light coloured ant.

How can I tell if I have termites or ants?
You can distinguish a termite from an ant by looking closely at its appearance.

Termites may look larger than ants due to their thicker waist. Ants are a darker brownish colour, while termites are lighter in colour. There is also a contrast between each insect’s antenna, where ants have an elbow-shaped antenna and termites have a straight antenna.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to find out what type of bug is damaging your home is by inspecting the frass (or droppings). Carpenter ants frass looks like wood shavings and may vary in size and shape, while termite frass is oval-shaped and uniform.

Termites always leave a lot of droppings, which may be present around wood in the home, both inside and outside.

The oval droppings are uniform in size and variable in colour, will be localised in one area, as the only time termites leave droppings is when they are eating from something. Termites damage more than just structures. They can also eat furniture, picture frames, and landscaping elements.

You can see whether termites are consuming wood by looking beneath wood you suspect may be affected. You can use a flashlight or a penlight to see if the wood is hollowed out or if termites are currently present in that small location.