Drywood Termite Treatment in Huntsville, TX

Drywood termites (Incisitermes spp. and related genera) are a fundamentally different pest from the subterranean species that dominate termite calls in Walker County. They do not live in the soil, do not build mud tubes, and do not need moisture from the ground. Drywood termites infest dry wood directly — structural framing, hardwood flooring, furniture, window frames, and siding — and can go undetected for years. Their presence is most reliably identified by the small, hard fecal pellets (frass) they push out of exit holes in the wood surface.

How Drywood Termites Differ from Subterranean Species

• No soil contact required: Drywood colonies live entirely within the wood they are eating. There is no underground colony to treat, and no mud tubes to find.
• Smaller colonies: Mature drywood colonies typically contain a few hundred to a few thousand individuals — far smaller than subterranean colonies. They cause damage more slowly as a result, but the damage compounds over many years.
• Frass identification: Drywood termites push their fecal pellets out of kick-out holes. These tiny, six-sided pellets are distinctive and are often the first sign homeowners notice — small piles of what looks like sawdust or coarse sand near baseboards, windowsills, or furniture.
• Swarm behavior: Drywood termite swarms typically occur in late summer and fall, during warm, dry periods — the opposite timing from Formosan swarms.

Treatment Options

The appropriate treatment depends on the extent of the infestation:

• Localized spot treatment: For contained, accessible infestations, termiticide or boron-based product is injected directly into the infested wood through drilled access holes. This is the least disruptive option and is appropriate when the infestation is localized to identifiable members — a window frame, a section of baseboard, one piece of furniture.
• Wood treatment / surface application: Accessible exterior wood surfaces can be treated with a residual product that penetrates the wood and kills active colonies while providing some protection against future colonization.
• Whole-structure fumigation: When infestation is widespread throughout a structure — multiple rooms, inaccessible framing, evidence throughout the attic — tent fumigation is the only method that reliably reaches all infested wood simultaneously. We subcontract fumigation to a licensed fumigation company; we will coordinate this on your behalf if it is the appropriate treatment.

When to Suspect Drywood Termites

Call us if you notice: small piles of hexagonal pellets near wood surfaces, clicking or rustling sounds inside walls (less common, but reported), swarmer wings near windows or light fixtures in late summer or fall, or visible kick-out holes (pinhole-sized openings) in wood surfaces. Older structures with exposed wood attic framing, wood-framed windows, or wood furniture that has been in storage are at particular risk.

Frequently Asked Questions — Drywood Termite Treatment