Identification
Physical Identification
Size: Workers (technically 'pseudergates' or false workers): 5-7mm. Soldiers: 6-8mm. Alates: 10-12mm including wings.
Coloration: Workers/pseudergates are creamy-white to yellowish. Soldiers have creamy-white bodies but a distinctive dark, heavily sclerotised (hardened) head that is rugged and dark brown to black. Alates are typically a uniform pale to reddish-brown.
Key Features: The soldier caste is the most unique. They have a short, thick, heavily armoured, and often wrinkled or bumpy head. This head is used as a living plug to block tunnels from attackers, a defensive strategy known as phragmosis. The most reliable diagnostic sign for an infestation, however, is not the termite itself but its faecal pellets (frass), which are hard, dry, and distinctly hexagonal in shape under magnification.
Body Structure: A typical soft-bodied termite form with no waist. The colony consists of reproductives (king, queen, alates), soldiers, and immature individuals that function as workers.
Biology & Lifecycle
Biology & Development
Development
Drywood termites have a simple life cycle. Eggs hatch into nymphs. There is no true 'worker' caste; instead, older nymphs (pseudergates) perform the labour of the colony. These pseudergates can moult to become soldiers or alates when needed.
Reproduction
Very low compared to subterranean termites. It can take 5 or more years for a colony to mature to the point where it can produce its first swarm of alates.
Optimal Temperature: They thrive in warm climates and are most common in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate coastal areas.
Social Structure
Eusocial, with a caste system, but less complex and populous than subterranean termites.
Lifecycle Details
Life Cycle
Egg Stage
The queen lays a small number of eggs, often just a few in the first year. The eggs are kidney-shaped and are laid within the excavated galleries in the wood.
Adult Stage
Colonies are small, often containing only a few hundred to a few thousand individuals, and grow very slowly. The king and queen can live for over a decade. The entire colony, including the reproductives, lives within the timber they are consuming.
Development Time: The development from egg to adult can take many months, and the development of the colony as a whole takes many years.
Seasonal Cycle
Colonies are active year-round within the protected environment of the timber. Swarming (the flight of alates) is the main seasonal event, typically occurring on warm, sunny afternoons.
Habitat & Distribution
Habitat & Distribution
Preferred Habitats
- Dry, sound structural timbers in buildings, especially in roof voids, walls, and floors.
- Wooden furniture (hence the name 'Furniture Termite').
- Doors, window frames, skirting boards, and picture frames.
- Wooden boats and ships.
- Any item made of dry wood.
Nesting Behavior
The nest and the food are the same thing. The entire colony lives in a network of galleries they excavate, eating their way through the timber. These galleries are kept clean, with faecal pellets being stored in unused chambers or ejected through 'kick-out' holes.
Microhabitat
The network of galleries within a piece of wood.
Distribution Patterns
Distribution in Australia
Distribution: Native Cryptotermes are found in QLD, NT, and northern WA. The invasive C. brevis has established populations in Brisbane, Maryborough, and other coastal QLD towns, with isolated infestations found and eradicated in other states like NSW.
Climate Zones: Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate (in coastal cities)
Native Range: Several species of Cryptotermes are native to Australia, particularly in northern regions. However, the most significant pest, Cryptotermes brevis, is an introduced species.
Limiting Factors: Limited by very cold climates, but can survive in heated buildings in temperate zones.
Behavior & Diet
Behavior & Activity
Activity Pattern: Active 24 hours a day, entirely within the confines of the infested timber.
Foraging Behavior
They do not 'forage' in the traditional sense. They simply expand their network of galleries by eating the wood they live in.
Defensive Behavior
Defence relies on the phragmotic soldiers, who block the narrow tunnels with their heavily armoured heads, preventing entry by predators like ants.
Communication: Pheromones are the primary method of communication.
Dietary Preferences
Diet & Feeding
Feeding Habits: They feed exclusively on the dry wood (cellulose) in which they live.
Primary Food Sources
- Softwoods and hardwoods are both attacked.
- Structural timbers in buildings.
- Wooden furniture and flooring.
- Any processed timber product.
Foraging Range: Zero. They do not leave the wood to forage.
Feeding Schedule: Continuous.
Health Risks
Always consult healthcare professionals for medical concerns related to pest exposure.
Health Risks
Disease Transmission
- None. They do not transmit diseases.
Allergens: The fine, dust-like frass (faecal pellets) can become airborne during cleaning or if a heavily infested piece of timber is disturbed. This dust can be an irritant and may trigger asthma or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
Risk Level: Low. Risk is limited to respiratory or skin irritation from frass.
Vulnerable Populations
- People with asthma or severe dust allergies.
- Cabinetmakers or demolition workers who may be exposed to high concentrations of frass dust.
Economic Impact
Economic Impact
Structural Damage
Can cause severe damage to structural timbers over many years. Because they live hidden inside the wood, the damage can become critical before it's found. They can completely hollow out beams, leaving only a thin veneer.
Treatment Costs: Extremely high for whole-of-house infestations, requiring tent fumigation which can cost $10,000 - $30,000+. Localised 'spot' treatments may cost $1,000 - $4,000.
Agricultural Impact
None.
Business Impact: The need for fumigation causes major disruption to any business or homeowner.
Detection & Signs
Signs of Drywood Termite infestation may include visible specimens, droppings, damage to property, and unusual sounds or smells. Professional assessment is recommended for accurate identification.
Prevention
Sanitation Measures
- Not applicable in the same way as for other pests, as they are not attracted to food waste.
- The key sanitation measure is 'timber hygiene': do not bring infested items into the house.
Exclusion Methods
- The most effective exclusion method is to use termite-resistant or preservative-treated timber during construction.
- Seal all timber surfaces with a thick layer of paint or varnish. This prevents the founding pair of alates from being able to find a crack or crevice to start their nest.
- Install fine mesh screens over vents and openings to prevent entry of swarming alates.
Landscaping Tips
- Does not relate to landscaping, as they do not come from the garden.
Monitoring Strategies
- Regular, diligent visual inspections of all exposed timber in the house, especially in the roof void and sub-floor.
- Pay close attention to antique or second-hand furniture.
- During a professional termite inspection, the inspector will specifically look for signs of drywood termite activity like frass.
Environmental Modification
- No environmental modifications are effective, as they live inside the dry timber itself.
Control Methods
Chemical Control
For widespread infestations, whole-of-structure fumigation is the gold standard. The entire building is sealed under a tent, and a fumigant gas (like sulfuryl fluoride) is introduced, which penetrates all timber to kill the termites.
Biological Control
None available.
Physical Control
For very localised, accessible infestations, physical removal of the infested timber and replacing it with treated timber can be effective.
Integrated Approach
Localised 'spot' treatments can be used for minor infestations. This involves drilling into the infested timber and injecting a liquid or dust termiticide directly into the galleries. This is less disruptive than fumigation but carries the risk of missing some hidden areas of activity.
Treatment Effectiveness
Success Rate: Whole-of-structure fumigation has a very high success rate, close to 100%, for the termites present at the time of treatment. Localised spot treatments have a lower and less certain success rate.
Timeframe: Fumigation takes several days, including the tenting, gassing, and aeration periods. Spot treatments are quicker.
Follow-up Required: Fumigation offers no residual protection. The house can be re-infested the next day. Therefore, follow-up inspections and preventative measures (like painting timber) are crucial.
Seasonal Considerations: Treatment can be done at any time but is often prompted by the discovery of swarmers or frass.
Professional Services
Professional Treatment Services
Localised 'spot' treatments can be used for minor infestations. This involves drilling into the infested timber and injecting a liquid or dust termiticide directly into the galleries. This is less disruptive than fumigation but carries the risk of missing some hidden areas of activity.
Application Techniques
- Whole-of-structure tenting and fumigation with a carefully calculated dose of gas.
- Drill-and-inject application of liquid termiticides into galleries.
- Application of insecticidal dusts into galleries using a puffer.
Follow-up Services
Fumigation offers no residual protection. The house can be re-infested the next day. Therefore, follow-up inspections and preventative measures (like painting timber) are crucial.
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Browse All ProvidersSeasonal Patterns
Seasonal Activity
Seasonal Cycle: Colonies are active year-round within the protected environment of the timber. Swarming (the flight of alates) is the main seasonal event, typically occurring on warm, sunny afternoons.
Environmental Factors
The primary factor is the presence of suitable dry, sound wood (timber with less than 15% moisture content). They do not require any contact with the ground or external moisture.
Activity Pattern: Active 24 hours a day, entirely within the confines of the infested timber.
Legal Considerations
Legal Considerations
Termite control should be conducted by licensed pest control professionals in accordance with local regulations. Check with your local council for any specific requirements regarding termite treatments and chemical applications. Professional treatments may require notification to neighbors and adherence to safety protocols.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Drywood and Subterranean termites?
The fundamental difference lies in their relationship with moisture and soil. Subterranean termites, like Heterotermes or the destructive Coptotermes, build their primary nest in the ground and must maintain a continuous, moist connection to the soil to survive. They travel through underground tunnels and build mud tubes to reach the timber in your home. Drywood termites (Cryptotermes) have evolved to extract all the moisture they need from the timber they eat. They do not need any contact with the soil. They can start a colony in a piece of furniture or a roof beam and live there for their entire lifecycle. This leads to different signs: subterranean termites leave mud tubes and use soil in their workings, while drywood termites leave distinctive, dry faecal pellets (frass) and have no mudding. This biological difference dictates the vastly different prevention and treatment strategies required for each type.
What is 'frass' and why is it important for identification?
Frass is the term for insect excrement, and the frass of the drywood termite is the single most important sign for identifying an infestation. Because they live in a dry environment, their bodies are incredibly efficient at extracting water from the wood they digest. The resulting waste product is a very hard, dry faecal pellet. Under magnification, these pellets have a distinct, ridged, hexagonal shape. The termites keep their galleries clean by pushing these pellets out of the colony through tiny 'kick-out' holes. These pellets then accumulate in small piles below the infested timber, on surfaces like floors, window sills, or furniture. Finding this material, which looks like grains of sand or poppy seeds, is a definitive clue that drywood termites are active. The frass of other wood-boring pests, like Powderpost beetles, is a fine powder, making the hard, hexagonal pellets of drywood termites unique.
How do Drywood termites get into a house?
Drywood termites have two main ways of getting into a house. The first is through natural colonisation. A mature colony within an infested building or tree in the neighbourhood will produce a swarm of winged reproductives, or alates. On a warm day, these alates fly out and a male and female will pair up, land on a new building, and search for a crack, joint, or unsealed end-grain in a piece of wood to start a new colony. The second, and perhaps more common method of long-distance spread, is through human transportation. A small, undetected colony can exist within a piece of antique furniture, a picture frame, a wooden crate, a boat, or even building materials. When that infested item is moved to a new house, the termite colony is moved along with it, establishing a new centre of infestation that can then spread to the structural timbers of the new home. This is why it is critical to carefully inspect any second-hand timber or furniture before bringing it inside.
Is fumigation the only way to get rid of Drywood termites?
Whole-of-structure fumigation is considered the most effective and reliable method for eradicating a widespread or inaccessible drywood termite infestation, but it is not the only option. For small, localised, and accessible infestations, 'spot treatments' can be an alternative. This involves drilling small holes into the identified infested timber and injecting a liquid or dust termiticide directly into the termite galleries. This can kill the termites in that specific piece of wood. However, the major challenge with drywood termites is knowing the full extent of the infestation. Because they can live in multiple separate locations within a structure, a spot treatment might kill one colony but miss another one completely. Fumigation, by contrast, involves enclosing the entire building in a tent and introducing a gas that penetrates every piece of timber, ensuring that all colonies, hidden or known, are eliminated. The choice between fumigation and spot treatment depends on a thorough inspection and risk assessment by a qualified professional.
I found Drywood termites in a piece of furniture. Is my whole house at risk?
Finding drywood termites in a piece of furniture is a serious situation that requires immediate action, and yes, your whole house is potentially at risk. The colony in the furniture could be a primary infestation, or it could be a satellite colony from a larger infestation already established in your home's structural timbers. Furthermore, if the colony in the furniture is mature (typically over 5 years old), it may have already produced swarms of winged alates that have started new colonies elsewhere in your house. The first step is to isolate the piece of furniture if possible, perhaps by moving it outside and away from the house. Do not take it to the dump or give it away, as this will only spread the problem. The second, and most critical step, is to immediately call a licensed pest control professional who specialises in termites. They will need to inspect the furniture to confirm the species and inspect your entire house to determine if the infestation has spread to the structure.
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