Termite Droppings (Frass) or Pellets: What Do They Look Like?

If you find termite droppings, also known as frass, around your home, rest assured that all is not well. Frass gives an indication that there is an active termite infestation in the vicinity. The intensity and rate of damage will depend on the type of termite. Once you notice the droppings, it is a high time that you take necessary steps in order to eliminate the termites.

The waste matter from termites has a lot of interesting facts. Unlike droppings from several other pests and animals, termite poop is beneficial. It has been identified to contain high amounts of magnesium. In fact, some people from different parts of the world use the droppings are dietary supplements.

A comparison of droppings from various types of termites

Termite Droppings (Frass) or Pellets: What Do They Look Like?

Subterranean and Dry wood termite droppings

Basically, the appearance of termite frass depends on the species of termites. Subterranean termites produced a liquid form of waste. The normally use the dung to construct special types of structures. They combine the dung with debris and saliva to construct mud tubes that will enable them to move through in order to reach food sources. These species of termites also used the dung to construct nests. As a result of the nature of their droppings and the fact that they use the droppings to construct nests, it is not easy to diagnose the infestation of the subterranean termites by relying on presence of their droppings.

What is the appearance of termite droppings?

Both dry wood and dump wood termites excrete droppings that are in form of pellets. The pellets look like coffee particles. It is easy to tell if there is a dry wood or dump wood termites by relying on their droppings. Their droppings can easily be noticed on surfaces. However, the observer should be keen since the droppings may be confused for sawdust or sand.

The color of the droppings may not give a good guess. This is because their color varies depending on the type of nourishment that was consumed. The color of their droppings may vary from brown to beige. The droppings may also be blackish in color. Dry wood termite droppings may be found on trails. The droppings released by the two species are similar in appearance. They are hard and they are grain-sized.

Where can you find termite poops?

Termite frass cannot be easily spotted. Normally, the frass gets accumulated in regularly visited spots such as basements and isolated places such as stores. Window sills are also normally hot spots. If you use carpets in your home, you will also find the droppings under the carpets. This is common where wooden floor carpets have been used on the floor.

How can you confirm that the droppings that you found belong to termites?

This is a question that cannot be easily answered especially if you have no knowledge about termite frass. Species of animals such as carpenter ants also produce droppings that can easily be confused with the ones produced by termites. If you want to correctly confirm that what you saw is termite droppings, you may need to seek the services of a termite exterminator or inspector. The inspector will be able to carry out a classification of the fecal evidence in order to ascertain if the droppings were excreted by termites.

Removal of termite frass

Termite frass should not be exposed without seeking the assistance of an inspector. As mentioned above, the inspector will is vital in this stage for two reasons:

He/she will identify if the droppings belong to termites - If it is true that the droppings were released by termites, he/she will be able to recommend the best termite treatment measure. If the droppings were made by other pests, you will need not to worry since pests such as carpenter ants are less harmful.
He will aid in identifying the type of termite - Different termites may call for different treatment measures. In this regard, knowing the right type of termite will facilitate the use of the best termite control measure.

The bottom line

Termite droppings suggest a lot. They are beneficial but at the same time they pass a warning message to home owners. Home owners are advised to be keen on the type of droppings that they find in their homes. Always bear in mind that early diagnosis will facilitate effective and timely treatment.