Drywood  Termites don’t need contact with the soil to survive. They can live in dry and sound wood. They are found primarily along the southern coast from Florida to Texas, in Arizona, Southern California and Hawaii. Sometimes buildings or furniture are built with wood infested with Drywood termites and they could be carried to colder northern climates.

Drywood termites are secretive insects and are difficult to detect. They live deep inside wood and, except during periods when they swarm or when repair work is being done on infested homes, they are seldom seen. Colonies are small, only up to few thousand individuals. They can be widely dispersed within the structure, and take years to mature. While a homeowner may initially detect the presence of termites when they swarm or if fecal pellets are discovered, inspecting for drywood termites and determining the extent of an infestation require experience.

Because of the difficulty in detecting drywood termites and determining the extent of the damage done, do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended; consult a pest control professional. Over-the-counter products with drywood termites on the label for do-it-yourself enthusiasts do not exist.

Drywood Termites do not have a true worker caste. The nymphs do the work. They also have very few soldiers, equipped with teeth on the inner margin mandibles, parallel to the side of the head. The soldiers are twice as big as the Subterranean Termites soldiers.

Swarmers fly out of the colony in the warm summer months, on the hot days. They are usually attracted to the light and bright areas. Swarms are relatively small of only few hundred individuals.