Termites or wood borer?
Both damage timber from the inside. Both are invisible until they surface. But the signs are distinct, the urgency levels are different, and the treatments share no overlap. Identifying which one you have before engaging a pest controller will determine whether you need a colony elimination programme or a penetrant treatment — two very different things.
Quick comparison
| Sign | Termites | Wood borer |
|---|---|---|
| Exit holes | None (subterranean); tiny pellet kickouts (drywood) | Round 1–2mm holes, clean edges |
| Frass type | Subterranean: none visible; drywood: hexagonal ovoid pellets | Fine powdery cream dust — falls as a pile |
| Mud tubes | Present (subterranean) — pencil-width clay tunnels | Never present |
| Timber tap test | Hollow, papery sound; screwdriver penetrates easily | Solid — damage is internal narrow galleries |
| Swarmer wings | Yes — after rain, near windows and lights | No swarming; adult beetles are rarely noticed |
| Urgency | Critical — colony is consuming timber daily | Medium — damage accumulates over months to years |
| Treatment | Colony elimination programme | Boron penetrant or fumigation |
Subterranean or drywood termite
Cape Subterranean Termite, Formosan Termite, Coptotermes, Cryptotermes
Almost certainly termites if you see:
- Mud tubes on foundation walls, subfloor posts, or wall surfaces — pencil-width clay tunnels termites build to travel between soil and timber
- Hollow timber: tap a structural beam or floor board and it sounds empty or papery; press a screwdriver in and it penetrates with almost no resistance
- Discarded wings (swarmers) near windows or light fittings after the first heavy rain — thousands of identical translucent wings left in clusters
- Blistered, warped, or bubbling paint on a timber surface with no obvious moisture source behind it
- Fine pale or brown pellets pushed from a tiny kick-out hole in timber (drywood termite frass — not powdery, distinctly hexagonal ovoid pellets)
Rule this out if:
- You see clean round 1–2mm exit holes punched through the timber surface
- The frass beneath the timber is fine, powdery, and cream-coloured (not pellet-shaped)
- The timber is structurally solid with no hollow sound when tapped
Treatment approach
Colony elimination: baiting system, liquid barrier soil treatment, or fumigation — determined by species (subterranean vs drywood). Not a DIY fix.
Methodology: which colony-elimination programme fits subterranean vs drywood speciesWood borer beetle
Furniture beetle, Anobium punctatum, borer, timber beetle, Lyctus beetle
Almost certainly wood borer if you see:
- Round exit holes 1–2mm in diameter with clean, precise edges — the adult beetle emerged through these holes
- Powdery cream-white frass (boring dust) directly beneath the timber — fine, talcum-like texture, falls as a pile
- Frass looks identical regardless of where you collect it — uniform fine powder, no particles of different sizes
- Affected timber feels structurally solid on the outside — the damage is internal galleries not visible from the surface
- No mud tubes anywhere on the structure
Rule this out if:
- The timber sounds hollow when tapped
- Mud tubes are present on the surface or inside wall cavities
- There are discarded wings near windows or light fittings
- Holes are irregular in shape or larger than 3mm
Treatment approach
Boron-based penetrant treatment for structural timber; surface spray or fumigation for furniture. Active infestation in roof rafters, floor joists, or purlins requires professional treatment.
Methodology: structural injection, heat treatment, and floor restoration programmesWhen inspection is mandatory before treatment
If you can identify the signs above clearly, you can make a confident provisional diagnosis. However, treatment should always be preceded by a professional inspection — not because the signs are ambiguous, but because the scope of the infestation is invisible from the surface. A mud tube tells you termites are present; it does not tell you how much structural timber has been consumed, where the colony is, or which treatment pathway is appropriate. An exit hole tells you wood borer is active; it does not tell you whether the structural timber is still within acceptable load tolerance.
Common questions
Not sure which one you have?
A termite inspection will confirm species, map the infestation scope, and determine which treatment programme applies. Wood borer assessments evaluate structural timber integrity.
Request an inspection