Signs of termites: how to spot them before the repair bill

Termites are Australia's most expensive pest by an enormous margin — and the quietest. They eat timber from the inside out, avoid light and open air, and leave the painted surface intact while hollowing everything behind it. Most infestations are discovered by accident: a vacuum cleaner through a skirting board, a foot through a floor. Here's what to look for before it gets to that.

Why termites go unnoticed

Subterranean termites — the destructive kind in Victoria — live in soil colonies that can hold millions, and commute into buildings through concealed routes: wall cavities, slab penetrations, and the mud tunnels they build to stay humid and hidden. They never expose themselves voluntarily. Everything about spotting them is reading indirect evidence, which is why the signs below matter more than expecting to see the insects themselves.

The signs, in order of reliability

Mud leads (shelter tubes)

Pencil-width tubes of packed mud running up foundations, piers, walls or in the subfloor — termite highways, and the closest thing to a definitive sign. Fresh tubes are damp and darker; an active tube repaired within days of being broken means a live colony is commuting through it.

Hollow or papery timber

Tap skirtings, architraves and door frames — termite-eaten timber sounds hollow or papery, and a screwdriver pressed into a bad section sinks through a thin skin of paint into mush. Termites eat along the grain and leave a wafer of surface intact, so timber can look perfect and be 90% gone.

Bubbling paint and rippled surfaces

Moisture from termite activity blisters paint and ripples plasterboard — easily mistaken for water damage. "Water damage" with no plumbing nearby deserves a second, suspicious look.

Tight doors and windows

Termite moisture swells frames. One sticky door is a house settling; several going tight together in one area is a pattern worth inspecting.

Clicking in the walls

Soldier termites bang their heads against tunnel walls to signal the colony — in a quiet room, a faint dry clicking from a wall cavity is exactly what it sounds like.

Flying termites: the spring warning

On warm, humid evenings from spring into summer, mature colonies release thousands of winged reproductives — alates — that fly briefly, drop their wings and pair off to found new colonies. Swarmers around your lights, or piles of identical shed wings on sills and in webs, mean a mature colony is close. Swarmers are thick-waisted with two equal pairs of wings; flying ants have pinched waists and unequal wings — a photo settles it. Either way, a swarm on your property is an inspection trigger, not a curiosity.

Found something? What NOT to do

• Don't break open tubes or damaged timber — disturbed termites abandon the area within days and re-attack somewhere hidden, taking your only evidence with them
• Don't spray them — a can of fly spray kills a dozen workers and warns a colony of millions; it's the single most common way homeowners turn a findable problem into an invisible one
• Do photograph it, close the area off, and book a licensed inspection — treatment decisions come from mapping the activity intact

Melbourne's real termite risk

Termite pressure across Melbourne's suburbs is genuine — established gardens, older timber housing stock and warming conditions all favour subterranean species. Two facts frame the risk: standard home insurance almost never covers termite damage, and Australian Standard AS 3660.2 recommends inspections at least annually for exactly that reason. An annual inspection is the entire defensive budget for most homes — everything else only happens if something is found.

Prevention that actually matters

• Fix moisture: leaking taps, dripping ACs, poor subfloor drainage — termites follow water
• Break timber-to-soil contact: no firewood stacked against walls, no garden beds burying weep holes, no formwork timber left under decks
• Keep slab edges and weep holes visible — concealed entry is how attacks stay hidden for years
• Book the annual inspection — the one habit that catches everything else

Our termite inspection and treatment service covers homes, pre-purchase inspections and commercial sites across Melbourne — licensed, documented, and to the Standard. If you've seen any of the signs above, don't poke it: book the inspection.

Frequently asked questions

What are the first signs of termites?

Mud shelter tubes on foundations and hollow-sounding timber are the most reliable early signs, followed by bubbling paint with no plumbing nearby, tightening doors, and shed swarmer wings on window sills. Any one of them justifies an inspection.

What do termite mud tubes look like?

Pencil-width tunnels of packed earth running up piers, foundations and walls — termites build them to travel protected from light and dry air. A tube that gets repaired after you break a small section is proof of an active colony.

Are flying termites the same as flying ants?

No — termite swarmers have thick waists and two equal pairs of wings; ants have pinched waists and unequal wings. Swarmers or piles of shed wings around your property mean a mature termite colony is nearby.

Should I spray termites if I find them?

Never — spraying kills a few workers and alerts the colony, which withdraws and re-attacks somewhere concealed. Leave everything undisturbed and book a licensed inspection; treating the colony is the only fix that works.

How often should I get a termite inspection in Melbourne?

At least annually, per Australian Standard AS 3660.2 — and given that home insurance almost never covers termite damage, that inspection is effectively your only cover.

A1 Pest & Weed Control handles this for homes and businesses across Melbourne — licensed technicians, guaranteed results, and fast response: 0411 859 516 or get a free quote.