Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are a danger to any wood in your home, inside or out. They form colonies where each termite has a special function in their subset or caste. Colonies begin with a queen and her mate and include reproductive and soldier castes. Drywood termites build their colony inside of wood once the queen finds the perfect spot. Drywood termites can fly or be brought into your home and have no contact with the ground. Reproductive caste termites help the colony grow, and soldier termites lead the attack on your home. Soldier termites do not require much moisture to live. This means they go wherever they find their desired type of wood.

Drywood termites eat the cellulose in wood and eat across the grain. They eat away at any type of wood in your home, and their aggressive eating style can lead to structural collapse. They’re often found in attics, where they have easy access to structural wood. Furthermore, these termites can penetrate non-cellulose materials to get to the wood they seek.

Like most termites, their role in the colony affects their appearance. While they are all generally a light brown in color, some may be darker or even yellow. Drywood termites’ wings have a gray or clear appearance. Soldiers usually measure 3/8 of an inch long, whereas reproductive termites measure slightly longer at 1/2 of an inch.