Last Updated on April 20, 2026 by morninghomestead
Termites are often called silent destroyers. They can work their way through the wood structure of your Centralia home for months without showing any obvious signs on the surface. But termites leave clues behind. You just need to know what to look for. Those who catch the problem early through proactive Pointe Pest and Pointe Pest Control services can look for the right treatment and avoid major repairs. Here are seven signs that termites may have already moved into your Centralia property.
1. Mud Tubes Along Your Foundation
Subterranean termites build mud tubes to travel between their underground colonies and the wood they feed on. These tubes are about the width of a pencil. They are made from soil, wood particles, and termite saliva. They can be found along your foundation walls and basement surfaces and around crawl space supports and floor joists. Also, you might spot them near utility pipes where they enter your home and along exterior walls close to the ground.
If you find a mud tube and break off a small section, check back in a day or two. You have an active termite colony on your hands if the tube has been repaired.
2. Hollow-Sounding Wood
Termites feed from the inside out, which means the surface of your wood may look fine while the interior has been hollowed out. Tap on walls, baseboards, floors, and wooden support beams throughout your home. Termites may be responsible if the sound is hollow.
3. Discarded Wings Near Windows and Doors
Termite colonies produce swarmers or winged termites whose job is to leave the colony and establish new ones nearby. They shed their wings after they land and find a mate. Termite wings are uniform in size and shape, which helps distinguish them from ant wings.
4. Frass or Termite Droppings
Drywood termites push their droppings out of their tunnels through small holes in the wood. These droppings look like tiny pellets or sawdust and are often found in small piles beneath infested wood.
If you spot what looks like a small mound of sawdust near a wooden surface in your Centralia home, do not brush it off as harmless debris. Have it inspected by a pest control professional as soon as possible.
5. Tight-Fitting Doors and Windows
The wood in your walls and door frames can begin to warp as termites consume wood and produce moisture through their activity. This warping often causes doors and windows to become difficult to open or close, even when there has been no obvious change in weather or humidity. Many Centralia homeowners chalk this up to seasonal wood expansion, but it is worth having a termite inspection done if multiple doors or windows in your home suddenly become stiff.
6. Visibly Damaged or Blistered Wood
Wood that has been damaged by termites often looks blistered or uneven on the surface, similar to water damage. You may also notice that paint on wooden surfaces appears to bubble or peel without any moisture source nearby.
Run your hand along baseboards, door frames, and window sills. Termites may have been at work beneath it for some time if the surface feels soft, spongy, or gives way under light pressure.
7. Visible Termites Themselves
Termites have straight antennae, a broad waist, and wings of equal size. Ants have bent antennae, a pinched waist, and wings that differ in size.Worker termites are pale and soft-bodied. They avoid light, so you are more likely to find them if you disturb a piece of wood or debris in your yard. Contact a licensed pest control professional from Pointe Pest or Pointe Pest Control for a full inspection if you spot any of these characteristics on an insect in or around your Centralia property.
