Signs of Termites: The 6 Things to Look For Before You Call a Pest Inspector (Australia)

Quick answer

Termites (also called white ants) leave six signs before serious damage shows: mud tubes on walls, hollow-sounding timber, blistered paint, shed wings, frass near skirting boards, and sagging floors. Find any one of them. Call a licensed pest inspector that same day. Do not touch, spray, or probe anything before they arrive.

This guide covers where each sign turns up, how to tell it apart from other causes, and why the do-not-disturb rule is as important as finding the signs in the first place.

Mud tubes on your walls are the clearest sign termites have entered the building

Subterranean termites (the main species in most Australian homes) build shelter tubes to travel between their underground colony and the timber they eat. These narrow tunnels are made from soil, saliva, and debris, roughly pencil-width. You'll find them along base walls, around pipe entry points, up the inside of brick walls, and along skirting boards and door frames. This is where to start looking.

What tells a mud tube apart from ordinary dirt is the neat tunnel shape and the path it takes toward your wall frame. Dirt doesn't do that. A mud tube does.

Breaking open a mud tube sends the colony deeper into your walls

Spotting the tube is step one. What you do next matters just as much. When termites sense a break, they move the colony deeper, often into wall voids where they're harder to find and treat. A pest inspector who arrives at a disturbed site may find no sign of them at all. That delays treatment while they keep eating.

Note where you found the tube, take a photo without touching it, and call a licensed pest inspector right away. That's it.

Hollow-sounding timber means termites have already eaten through it from inside

Termites eat timber from the inside out, leaving a shell thin enough to cave in. The best way to catch this early is a tap test: knock your knuckle along skirting boards, architraves, door frames, and window frames and listen for a dull, hollow sound against the solid thud of sound timber.

A solid post or an unaffected window frame gives you a reference, and the hollow spot is clearly duller. Don't probe or drill to look further. That's the inspector's job, done under AS 3660.2:2017, the Australian standard for termite detection in existing buildings.

Moisture rot or an old repair can also sound hollow. That's not a reason to ignore it. Hollow timber in an odd spot is enough to call a licensed pest inspector, because an inspector can confirm the cause with thermal imaging and moisture meters you can't safely use yourself.

Blistered paint and bulging wall linings signal termite moisture working behind the surface

When termites feed just behind a painted surface, they bring moisture that makes paint blister or bubble and wall linings ripple or bulge. Most people miss this one. It looks the same as a water leak.

Check lower interior walls, skirting boards, and door frames. Blistering near the floor with no clear plumbing or roof leak above it is more suspicious than blistering under a window. Stiff or sticking doors with no obvious cause can also point to termite moisture warping the frame. Don't read that sign on its own, though. Paired with mud tubes or hollow timber nearby, blistered paint makes termite activity much more likely.

A licensed pest inspector will use moisture meters and a thermal camera to tell the difference between a termite moisture pattern and a plain leak. Your job is to notice it and call.

Discarded wings near windows after warm weather are a primary early warning

Small piles of shed wings near a window, in a spider web, or around a light fitting after a warm night mean an active termite colony is close by or already inside your home. They show up because winged termites swarm once a year in late spring and early summer as the heat rises, then drop their wings almost right away after finding a mate.

Finding wings is an early warning. The house is not necessarily already damaged. But it means you call today, because live termites near an entry point mean a colony is setting up nearby or is already in the structure and a licensed pest inspector needs to check.

Don't kill or vacuum up the swarm. That removes the only visible evidence. Leave what you find, note the spot and the date, take a photo, and call a licensed pest inspector the same day.

Frass near skirting boards points to a specific type of termite that needs different handling

Frass is gritty, sand-like droppings that termites push out of timber through tiny holes. If you find it, look for a small pile near skirting boards, under windowsills, or in the corners of rooms.

This matters for how the job gets handled. Visible frass is mainly a sign of drywood termites, not the subterranean species that cause most termite damage in Australian homes. Subterranean termites use their frass in nest building. They don't usually leave visible pellet piles. In Queensland, the West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) is a notifiable species under biosecurity law, so a confirmed case brings a specific legal process on top of normal treatment.

Any odd gritty debris near timber is worth a call to a licensed pest inspector, no matter the species. The inspector works out what you're dealing with. Treating for the wrong species is one of several reasons your job as a homeowner stops at noticing and calling.

Sagging floors or sticking doors are late warning signs that structural damage has already begun

By the time floors spring underfoot, ceilings sag, or door frames have visibly shifted, termite damage is already serious. QBCC lists sagging floors, doors, and ceilings, plus damaged skirting boards and door frames, as signs of a termite problem. These aren't early warnings. They're the late stage.

Cost follows timing. A licensed termite inspection at the mud-tube or hollow-timber stage usually finds the problem before serious damage spreads. Waiting until floors sag means the termite treatment costs go up, and repair work may be a separate job on top. The annual inspection discussed in the next section exists because termites do their worst damage before any visible sign shows up.

Every sign calls for the same two-step response: leave it undisturbed, call today

Two rules. Don't touch what you found. Call a licensed pest controller right away. QBCC is clear: if you suspect termites, get expert advice from a licensed pest controller that same day. This applies across Australia, not just in Queensland.

Before an inspector arrives, don't break open or probe mud tubes, nests, or trails. Don't spray or apply any retail insecticide to the area. Don't open walls or drill into timber to look further. Each of these moves the colony deeper and makes the inspector's job harder.

Do this instead: note the spot where you found it, take a photo without touching anything, and call a licensed pest inspector today. If you saw shed wings or a live swarm, say so when you call. Booking a licensed termite inspection puts you in touch with pest technicians who hold the right licence.

What does a termite inspection cost?

Typical install costSureQuote pricing data

Install scope

A licensed pest inspector checks the property, finds any active termite workings, and gives you a written report. What comes next depends on what they find: no activity, monitoring advice, or a separate treatment job.

$175 – $305General Pest Treatment · most homes

Check the price for my home See a fair-price estimate before you commit

Inspection and treatment are priced as two separate jobs. If the inspection finds active termites, a licensed pest controller will scope and price the treatment for your property.

See the full job details See the full cost breakdown

A licensed inspector finds what you cannot, and annual checks are the real protection layer

AS 3660.2:2017 is the Australian standard that sets out how a licensed inspector checks a building for termites. The job uses tools you can't safely use yourself: a thermal camera, a moisture meter, and a donger (a tapping device that finds hollow spots). These locate colonies in roof voids, subfloor spaces, and wall cavities that a visual check from the surface won't reach.

On frequency: QBCC says to get a licensed pest controller to check your property every year, or more often in high-risk areas, with North Queensland listed as especially high-risk. Outside Queensland, the right schedule depends on local termite pressure and your building type. A licensed pest inspector in your area is the right person to advise on that.

Annual inspection is the layer that catches colonies before they cause serious damage. Knowing the signs helps. Annual checks by a pro are what stop those signs from turning up in the first place. See what inspection and treatment cost on the pest control services cost guide before you book.

Quick reference: the six termite signs and what each means

Each sign below calls for the same response: leave it undisturbed and call a licensed pest inspector the same day. The table shows where to look and the one species note that affects how the inspector will handle it.

Sign	Where to look	Species note	Homeowner action
Mud shelter tubes	Base walls, skirting boards, door frames, around pipe entry points, subfloor posts	Subterranean termites (dominant AU species)	Photo (undisturbed), call inspector immediately
Hollow-sounding timber on tap test	Skirting boards, architraves, door frames, window frames	Subterranean termites (dominant AU species)	Tap test only, no probing or drilling. Call inspector.
Blistered paint or bulging wall linings	Lower interior walls, skirting boards, architraves	Subterranean termites (dominant AU species)	Note location and any other signs nearby. Call inspector.
Discarded wings near windows or light fittings	Window sills, door frames, light fittings, spider webs	Both subterranean and drywood species swarm in late spring and early summer	Do not kill or vacuum the swarm. Tell the inspector about the swarm when you call.
Frass (granular pellet droppings)	Near skirting boards, under windowsills, in room corners	Drywood termites mainly (West Indian drywood in QLD is notifiable under biosecurity law). Subterranean termites do NOT typically leave visible frass deposits.	Do not disturb. Note location. Call inspector; mention frass specifically.
Sagging floors, doors, or ceilings	Floor boards, door frames, ceiling boards, architraves	Advanced infestation, any subterranean species	Urgent. Call a licensed pest inspector today. Do not delay.

This table covers visual checks only. No drilling, probing, or chemical use. A licensed pest management technician is the only person qualified to confirm species, assess how far it has spread, and plan treatment under AS 3660.2:2017.

Common questions

What are the first signs of termites?

The two earliest signs are mud tubes along base walls or skirting boards, and a hollow sound when you tap timber. Both show up before any visible damage, which is why a quick tap test of your skirting boards and door frames is worth doing if you think something is wrong. If you find either sign, call a licensed pest inspector the same day and don't touch what you found.

What does termite damage look like?

Termite damage looks like hollow timber that caves in when pressed. Paint blistering near the floor for no clear reason. Wall linings that ripple or bulge. In bad cases, floors that spring underfoot or door frames that sag. The inside of eaten timber is papery and hollow. A licensed pest inspector uses thermal imaging and moisture meters to map how far the damage goes before treatment starts.

Can you see termites?

Rarely, and not the way most people expect. Worker termites avoid light and stay inside timber or mud tubes. What most homeowners see is what they leave behind: the tubes they build, the hollow timber they eat out, the wings that fall after a swarm, or the frass drywood termites push out of timber. A licensed pest inspector can find active termites using thermal imaging and a donger to pick up movement inside wall cavities and roof voids.

What attracts termites to a house?

Termites need moisture and timber to survive. The conditions that draw them tend to involve soil in direct contact with the building's timber frame and damp near the base from poor drainage or a leaking pipe. A licensed pest inspector can check your property and tell you what your risk factors are.

Where do termites nest in a house?

Subterranean termites, the species behind most serious timber damage in Australia, don't usually nest inside the house itself. Their colony is underground or in a tree stump nearby, and they build mud tubes to travel to and from the timber in your home. Drywood termites are different. They nest inside the timber they eat, which is why a drywood termite problem in Queensland can be harder to find without specialist gear. A licensed pest inspector can find the nest type and its location as part of a full termite inspection.

How can you tell if you have termites?

Work through the six signs, starting with the easiest to spot. Knock your knuckle along door frames and skirting boards and listen for a dull hollow sound. Walk the outside of your home and look for mud tubes rising from the soil. Check lower wall surfaces for blistered paint or bulging linings. After warm, humid weather, check window sills and light fittings for shed wings. Any one of those is enough to call a licensed pest inspector today. You don't need to confirm termites yourself.

Spotted a sign of termites? Book an inspection today.

A licensed pest management technician can confirm whether what you found is termite activity and give you a written report. Catching it early reduces what treatment costs. Connect with vetted local pest inspectors and get a fair-price estimate before anyone arrives.

Book a termite inspection What does termite treatment cost?

Sources

General information only. This guide is not a substitute for advice from a licensed pest management technician. If you suspect termites, do not disturb what you found and call a licensed pest inspector right away.

qbcc.qld.gov.auView source
qld.gov.auView source
standards.org.auView source
business.qld.gov.auView source
qbcc.qld.gov.auView source
health.vic.gov.auView source

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