Small, sand-like pellets near a piece of wood are often the first visible sign of a drywood termite infestation — here's what to look for.
Frass is termite droppings. Drywood termites push it out of small "kick-out holes" in the wood as they tunnel, so finding a small pile of it is a strong sign of an active drywood termite colony nearby — unlike subterranean termites, which don't produce visible frass since they stay inside mud tubes.
Termite frass looks like tiny, uniform, six-sided pellets, usually tan to dark brown, often compared to fine sawdust, ground coffee, or sand. It typically piles up in small mounds below or near a kick-out hole — on a windowsill, baseboard, or furniture surface below the infested wood.
Regular sawdust from drilling or sanding tends to be irregular in size and shape. Frass pellets are notably uniform and rounded, which is one way to tell them apart without a closer inspection.
Common spots include window and door frames, attic framing, furniture, and any exposed wood trim. If you find a small pile of pellets, checking directly above it for a tiny kick-out hole in the wood can help confirm what you're looking at.
Finding frass doesn't tell you how large the colony is or whether more than one exists elsewhere in the home — that requires a full inspection. Don't sweep it away before having it looked at, since its location and quantity give useful information about where treatment needs to focus.
Found something that looks like this? Call us at (954) 697-9511.