How to Spot Termites in a Tree: Leads, Flight Holes and What They Mean

The tree in the video above looks like any other. You could walk past it a hundred times and never look twice. But when the TC's team looked closer, it was hiding an active termite colony.

Here is how to spot the same signs yourself, and why it pays to catch them early.

The signs a tree has termites

In this tree, two things gave it away: termite leads and flight holes.

1. Leads are the mud workings termites build as they move about, little raised trails of soil and saliva that shelter them from the open air.
2. Flight holes, sometimes called flight tunnels, are small exit holes the colony opens up at a particular time of year so its winged reproductives can leave. On a tree they can look like small wounds in the bark, easy to miss unless you know what you are looking at.

Other signs to watch for:

• Mud leads or tubes running up trees, fences, piers, brickwork or walls
• Small holes appearing in tree trunks or timber, sometimes with fine debris nearby
• Discarded wings on window sills, near outdoor lights, or floating in the pool after a warm evening
• Timber that sounds hollow when you tap it

If you spot any of these, do not disturb them and do not spray them, as that only scatters the colony and makes our job harder. Cover the area back over gently - a wet rag is best - and give us a call.

What termite flight holes actually mean

In the warm, humid nights of spring and early summer, often just before or after a storm, a mature termite colony sends out thousands of winged reproductives, known as alates or swarmers, to fly off and start new colonies. They leave through those exit holes. So the flight holes are not a minor sign. They tell us the colony is established and mature enough to be breeding the next generation, and a hole in a tree like this usually means the nest is sitting inside the trunk. A nest that established, and that close, is a launchpad, and the timber in a nearby house is exactly what the next wave is hunting for.

Worth knowing: what most people call "white ants" are not ants at all. Termites are a separate insect entirely, which is part of why they behave, and need to be treated, so differently.

How we treated the termites in this tree

We drilled injection points into the trunk and treated the colony directly, both through the holes we drilled and through the flight holes the termites had opened themselves. In the video you can see the response: the soldiers hold their ground at the openings while the workers scramble back inside. That is the whole point of treating the nest itself. Killing the termites you can see achieves very little if the colony carries on underground or inside the timber.

The real lesson

This is why we filmed it. Termite activity is not always obvious. A tree, a fence, a stack of old sleepers or a length of skirting board can look perfectly normal and still be hiding a serious problem. Our advice never changes: if something looks a bit off, investigate it rather than hope for the best.

Why leafy blocks around Greenbank, Jimboomba and Flagstone see more of this

This is some of the greenest country in Logan, and a lot of blocks out this way have native trees and gums in the back yard, often several of them. Those trees are prime termite territory. A mature gum with a colony in its trunk can stand just metres from the house, which is no distance at all for termites hunting their next feed. If you are on a leafy acreage block in this part of the world, your termite pressure is simply higher, and a regular inspection matters that much more.

Seen something? Book a termite inspection

We would much rather catch termites early than after the damage is done.

If you have noticed anything unusual around your home or property, whether you are in Greenbank, Jimboomba, Flagstone or anywhere across Logan and the surrounds, call TC's Pest & Termite Management on 0400 077 076 and we will come and investigate properly.

A couple of quick questions

Do flying termites mean I already have termites?

Seeing swarmers or a pile of shed wings means a mature colony is nearby, though not always on your own block. It is worth an inspection to work out where they are coming from before they find your timber.

When do termites swarm in South East Queensland?

Mainly through the warm, humid months of spring and early summer, and most often on evenings around storms. That is when you are most likely to see them around lights at dusk.