Termites Control

The termite to watch in the Inland Northwest is the western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus. A WSU extension bulletin names it as one of Washington's two established termite species, alongside the Pacific dampwood termite (Zootermopsis angusticollis), which needs very wet wood and is mostly a west-side and log-home concern. Western subterranean termites live in soil colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands, sending workers through mud tubes up foundations to feed on structural wood, paper, and anything cellulose. They swarm on warm days in spring and fall, especially after rain, when winged reproductives pour out to start new colonies. Damage stays hidden for years because they eat wood from the inside out, hollowing studs and sills while the paint looks fine. The telltales are unmistakable once you know them: earthen mud tubes on foundations, discarded wings on windowsills, and wood that sounds hollow when tapped.