Drywood termites live inside wood and they do not have to go to the soil for moisture. In fact, they have minimal need for excess water. They do create small hard droppings that are ridged and the color of the wood on which they fed.
Because drywood and dampwood termites live entirely inside the wood on which they feed, you likely will not see signs of their presence, unless you see a swarm or droppings underneath damaged wood. Since dampwood termites rarely damage homes, this page focuses primarily on identification of drywood termite droppings, called frass.
When drywood termites clean their nests, they push their fecal pellets (remnants of digested wood) out through kick out holes in the wood. You may find little mounds of pellet-shaped droppings directly underneath the kick out holes (also called exit holes).
Subterranean termites generally do not leave behind visible droppings.
What Do Termite Droppings Look Like?
Drywood termite droppings have six concave surfaces and rounded ends. Subterranean termites use their droppings in the construction of tunnels and mud tubes, so their droppings cannot be distinguished from the nest.
Related:
Termite Pellets