7 Signs of Subterranean Termites in Las Vegas Homes

Subterranean termites are the termites that damage Las Vegas homes. They live in the soil, travel up into your walls through tiny cracks in the foundation, and eat wood from the inside out. Most homeowners never see them. What you can see are the signs they leave behind.

Here are the seven signs we find most often on inspections across Las Vegas, Henderson, and Summerlin.

1. Mud tubes on the foundation or walls

Mud tubes are pencil-width tunnels made of soil. Termites build them so they can travel from the ground to wood without drying out in our desert air. Check the outside of your foundation, garage walls, block walls, and around plumbing that comes up through the slab. If you break a tube open and it's rebuilt a few days later, the colony is active.

2. Swarmers or piles of wings

Once a colony is big enough, it sends out winged termites to start new colonies. In the Las Vegas valley, swarms often show up in spring and again after late-summer monsoon rains. You may see them near windows and lights, or just find small piles of wings on sills. Swarmers inside the house usually mean the colony is under or in the home.

3. Hollow-sounding wood

Termites eat wood from the inside and leave a thin outer layer. Tap baseboards, door frames, and trim with a screwdriver handle. Wood that sounds hollow or gives way easily needs a closer look.

4. Bubbling or peeling paint

When termites tunnel close to the surface, paint and drywall can bubble or look water damaged even where there's no leak. This is one of the most common signs we see in bathrooms and along baseboards.

5. Doors and windows that suddenly stick

Termite damage can warp frames and let moisture in. A door or window that used to close fine and now sticks is worth checking, especially on a ground floor.

6. Soft or damaged wood in the garage or around the water heater

Garages, water heater closets, and spots where wood touches soil or stucco meets the ground are high-risk areas in Las Vegas homes. Look for soft wood, dirt packed into cracks, or wood that crumbles.

7. Tiny holes or dirt in drywall

Subterranean termites pack their tunnels with soil. Small holes with dirt around them in drywall, or dirt lines along the bottom of a wall, are a red flag.

What to do if you see a sign

Don't spray it with store-bought bug spray. That kills the few termites you can see and sends the rest of the colony somewhere else in the house. Take a photo and have it looked at.

Aspire Pest & Termite Control offers free termite inspections if you think you have termites. You can also text a photo to 702-927-4335 and we'll review it free, no obligation. If we find termites, most homes are treated with a liquid barrier in about one day, backed by a 5-year transferable warranty.

Aspire Pest & Termite Control is a family-owned, licensed and insured termite company (NV Dept. of Agriculture License No. 7115) serving the Las Vegas valley since 2019.