You’ve worked hard for your East Texas home. It’s more than just a building—it’s where your family feels safe, where memories are made, and often your biggest investment. But beneath the surface, tiny invaders might be silently compromising your sanctuary, one wooden beam at a time.
Here in Longview and throughout East Texas, termites aren’t just a possibility—they’re practically inevitable for many homeowners. Our warm, humid climate creates the perfect breeding ground for these destructive pests. At The Bug’s End, we’ve spent years responding to panicked calls from local homeowners who discovered termite damage too late. The humidity that blankets our pine-filled region creates ideal conditions for subterranean termites to thrive year-round, making our homes particularly vulnerable compared to other parts of the country.
Knowing what to look for can mean the difference between a simple treatment and thousands of dollars in structural repairs. Let’s explore the telltale signs that termites might be making themselves at home in your house.
Visible Damage to Wood Structures
One of the most obvious signs of termite activity is damage to wooden structures in your home. Unlike regular wood decay, termite damage has a distinctive appearance. When you tap on wood that’s been invaded by termites, it might sound hollow or papery.
Inspect exposed wooden beams, door frames, window sills, and baseboards throughout your house. Pay special attention to any wood that contacts soil directly. Look for wood that appears blistered or splintered, almost as if it’s been damaged by water. You might notice that paint or wallpaper is bubbling or peeling over wooden surfaces—this happens when moisture from termite activity affects the wall covering.
In East Texas homes, particularly older properties in established Longview neighborhoods, wooden support beams in crawl spaces are especially vulnerable. These dark, humid areas provide perfect conditions for termites to feast undisturbed for months or even years.
Mud Tubes: The Termite Highway System
Subterranean termites—the most common type we deal with in East Texas—build distinctive mud tubes that serve as protected highways between their colony in the soil and their food source (your home). These tubes are typically about the width of a pencil and can appear on foundation walls, support piers, floor joists, or other surfaces that connect the ground to wooden structures.
These mud tubes are constructed from soil, wood particles, and termite saliva. They protect the termites from predators and help maintain the humidity levels these pests need to survive. Finding these tubes along your foundation or crawl space is a definitive sign of termite activity.
During our inspections in Longview homes, we frequently discover mud tubes in areas where foundations meet the soil, especially on the south-facing sides of houses where the ground tends to stay warmer. Breaking open an active mud tube will reveal small, cream-colored insects scurrying to safety.
Swarms and Discarded Wings
During spring in East Texas, usually after a warm rain, termite colonies may produce swarms of reproductive termites (alates) that fly out to start new colonies. These swarms often emerge from the soil around foundations or from wooden structures already infested with termites.
A termite swarm inside your home is an unmistakable sign of an established colony nearby—possibly inside your walls or foundation. Even if you miss the actual swarm, you might find evidence afterward in the form of discarded wings. Termite alates shed their wings after finding a mate, leaving behind piles of translucent, equally-sized wings near windowsills, door frames, or light fixtures.
In our experience serving Longview residents, termite swarms in our area typically occur between February and May, with peak activity in March and April. Many homeowners mistake these swarms for flying ants, which can delay proper treatment. The key difference: termite wings are uniform in size, while ant wings have larger front wings than back wings.
Frass: Termite Droppings
Drywood termites, though less common in East Texas than their subterranean cousins, leave behind distinctive droppings called frass. This looks like small pellets of wood-colored material, often forming small piles near infested wood or small holes in wooden structures.
Frass resembles fine sawdust or coffee grounds and is typically pushed out of the tunnels as termites clean their galleries. Finding these droppings near wooden window frames, baseboards, or furniture could indicate an active infestation of drywood termites.
While subterranean termites are the primary concern in Longview’s climate, we occasionally find drywood termite infestations, particularly in older homes with wooden siding or in furniture brought from coastal regions where these termites are more prevalent.
Tight-Fitting Doors and Windows
When termites consume wood, the damage they cause can lead to moisture accumulation. This moisture causes the wood to warp, potentially making doors and windows difficult to open or close properly. If you notice that doors or windows that once worked smoothly now stick or that wood-framed doorways no longer seem square, termites could be the culprit.
This symptom is particularly common in older East Texas homes, where wooden door frames and window sills have been exposed to our high humidity for decades. The combination of natural humidity and termite activity can accelerate warping dramatically.
In Longview homes, we often find this issue first appears in less-used rooms—guest bedrooms or formal dining areas where a sticking door might go unnoticed for months. By the time homeowners call us about stuck doors, the infestation has typically been active for quite some time.
Hollow-Sounding Wood
Termites typically eat wood from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or just the paint intact. This creates a hollow sound when you tap on the affected wood. Try tapping on baseboards, door frames, and window sills throughout your home, listening for differences in sound that might indicate termite tunnels within.
Wooden structures that should be solid but sound hollow when tapped are almost always compromised. In extreme cases, you might even be able to push a screwdriver or similar tool through what appears to be solid wood with minimal pressure.
The pine lumber commonly used in East Texas construction is particularly susceptible to this type of damage. During home inspections in Longview neighborhoods, we frequently discover hollow-sounding wood in the lower portions of wall framing, especially in bathrooms and kitchens where additional moisture makes the wood even more appealing to hungry termites.
Sagging Floors and Buckling Ceilings
Advanced termite infestations can compromise the structural integrity of your home. If termites have been feasting on floor joists or ceiling supports for an extended period, you might notice uneven or sagging floors, or ceilings that appear to buckle or bend.
These symptoms often indicate severe damage that requires immediate professional attention. By the time floors begin to sag visibly, termites have usually caused significant structural damage that will require both pest elimination and repairs from a contractor.
In our decades serving East Texas homeowners, we’ve seen cases where termite damage was so severe that floors actually became unsafe to walk on. This is particularly common in older homes in Longview’s historic districts, where subterranean termites may have had decades to establish extensive colonies and feeding tunnels.
Maze-like Patterns in Wood
If you remove a piece of damaged wood, you might see distinctive tunnels or galleries running through it. Termites create these tunnels as they consume the wood, following the grain and leaving behind a maze-like pattern of damage.
These tunnels are often packed with soil or termite waste, distinguishing them from the clean galleries created by carpenter ants or other wood-boring insects. The presence of these patterns within wooden structures is definitive evidence of termite activity.
In Longview homes, we commonly find these distinctive patterns when removing baseboards or trim during inspections. The patterns are particularly evident in softer woods like pine, which is extensively used in East Texas construction and provides less resistance to hungry termites than hardwoods.
Clicking Sounds in Walls
Believe it or not, termites can actually be heard if you listen carefully. Soldier termites bang their heads against wood or shake their bodies when the colony is disturbed, creating a clicking sound. Worker termites can also be heard chewing through wood if you press your ear against an infested wall in a very quiet room.
These sounds are most noticeable at night when your home is quiet and the termites are most active. While not the most common sign homeowners notice, it’s certainly one of the most unnerving.
During quiet inspections in Longview homes, we sometimes use stethoscope-like devices to amplify these sounds, helping us pinpoint activity within walls before opening them. This technique is particularly useful in determining whether an infestation is active or if the damage is old but the termites have moved on.
Crumbling Wood or Damaged Wood Trim
Wood damaged by termites becomes brittle and weak. You might notice baseboards, door frames, or window sills that crumble easily when pressed or poked. Sometimes, the damage isn’t visible from the surface, but the wood feels spongy or breaks apart easily when minimal pressure is applied.
This type of damage is often first noticed during routine cleaning or home maintenance. A homeowner might be dusting baseboards only to have a section crumble under light pressure, or a contractor installing new fixtures might discover that screws won’t hold in what should be solid wood.
In East Texas homes, we often find this type of damage around windows where condensation provides additional moisture, creating prime conditions for termite feeding. The combination of our humid climate and frequent rain makes window frames particularly vulnerable in Longview properties.
Visible Termites
While it might seem obvious, actually seeing termites in or around your home is a clear sign of infestation. Most homeowners are unlikely to spot worker termites unless they’re actively dismantling an infested structure, but you might encounter winged reproductive termites during swarming season or see soldier termites defending a disturbed mud tube.
Termites can sometimes be confused with ants, but there are key differences. Termites have straight antennae, a uniform body width (no “pinched waist” like ants), and equal-length wings (when present). If you’re uncertain, capturing a specimen in a small container can help a professional make a positive identification.
In Longview, we’ve found that homeowners most commonly spot termites during spring renovations or yard work, when soil disturbance near the foundation might expose a colony or foraging termites. Our clay-heavy East Texas soil is ideal for subterranean termite nests, allowing colonies to grow quite large before detection.
What Makes East Texas Homes Particularly Vulnerable
Our unique climate and building practices in East Texas create the perfect storm for termite activity. The warm, humid conditions provide termites with the moisture they need year-round, while our mild winters rarely get cold enough to significantly slow their feeding and reproduction.
Many Longview homes are built on pier-and-beam foundations with crawl spaces that create ideal termite entry points. Additionally, the popularity of wood siding and trim in local architectural styles provides abundant food sources for these destructive pests.
The sandy loam soil common in parts of East Texas is also easily navigable for subterranean termites, allowing colonies to expand and forage over larger areas than in regions with denser soil. At The Bug’s End, we’ve observed that homes built on previously wooded lots—which describes many Longview neighborhoods—are at particularly high risk, as these properties often have residual tree stumps or roots underground that serve as initial termite food sources before colonies expand to attack homes.
What to Do If You Spot These Signs
If you notice any of these warning signs in your East Texas home, it’s important to act quickly. Termites never stop eating, and colonies can contain thousands to millions of individuals working 24/7 to consume the wood in your home.
First, document what you’ve found. Take photos of visible damage, mud tubes, discarded wings, or any other evidence. This will help a professional assess the situation, even if the signs are less apparent by the time they arrive.
Next, resist the urge to disturb the area too much. Breaking open mud tubes or damaged wood might cause the termites to relocate temporarily, making them harder to treat effectively. Similarly, store-bought termite sprays typically only kill the termites they contact directly—a tiny fraction of the colony—while potentially causing the rest to avoid the treated area and infest a different part of your home.
Instead, contact a professional pest control service with specific experience treating termites in East Texas conditions. At The Bug’s End, we provide thorough inspections to determine the extent of the infestation and the most effective treatment approach for your specific situation.
Prevention: The Best Defense for Longview Homeowners
While no home in East Texas is completely immune to termites, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:
Maintain a termite barrier between soil and wood portions of your home. This might include concrete foundations, metal shields, or treated soil around the perimeter. Keep wood mulch, firewood, and wooden garden structures away from your foundation, as these can serve as bridges for termites to reach your home.
Ensure proper drainage around your foundation to reduce moisture in the soil near your home. Clean gutters regularly and extend downspouts to direct water away from the foundation. Fix leaky pipes, faucets, and air conditioning units promptly, as excessive moisture attracts termites.
Schedule regular professional inspections, especially if your home has had termites before or if neighboring properties have experienced infestations. In Longview’s climate, annual inspections are a wise investment compared to the cost of repairing termite damage.
Remember that in East Texas, it’s not a question of if termites will find your home, but when—and whether you’ll detect them before significant damage occurs. The unique challenges of our local climate and soil conditions make vigilance particularly important for homeowners in Longview and surrounding areas.
The Value of Professional Expertise
While this guide helps you identify potential termite activity, professional inspection provides certainty and peace of mind. Termite damage is rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance, making early detection crucial to avoiding costly repairs.
At The Bug’s End, we’ve been protecting East Texas homes from termites for over 20 years. Our experienced technicians understand the specific challenges of our local termite species and have the specialized equipment needed to detect infestations even in hard-to-reach areas.
If you’ve spotted any warning signs or simply want the reassurance of a professional inspection, we offer free termite inspections for Longview homeowners. Early intervention not only saves your home from damage but typically requires less extensive treatment than addressing an advanced infestation.
Your home is too important to leave vulnerable to these silent destroyers. Whether you’re noticing potential signs of termite activity or simply want to establish preventive measures, local expertise makes all the difference in protecting your East Texas home for years to come.
Remember, when it comes to termites in our region, proactive attention isn’t just prudent—it’s essential for preserving your home’s structural integrity and your peace of mind. The unique challenges of Longview’s climate and building practices make local, experienced termite protection invaluable for every homeowner.
