Termite Damage in San Antonio: What It Means for Your Home
Termite damage in a San Antonio home usually looks like wood hollowed out along the grain, with dried mud or soil packed into the tunnels, while the painted surface still looks fine. It builds slowly, so finding it is serious but not a reason to panic. The right order is inspection first, then treatment, then moisture fixes and repairs, so you are not rebuilding over an active colony.
If you have uncovered damaged wood, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book a termite inspection before you start repairs.
What does termite damage actually look like? #
Subterranean termites tunnel along the grain, so a damaged board often looks layered once it is opened. Common forms of damage:
- Baseboards, door casings and trim that dent easily or sound dull when tapped
- Wall studs and sill plates with galleries lined with mud or a pale, speckled coating
- Paint or drywall that bubbles or ripples over tunnels beneath it
- Floors or walls that have begun to sag, in severe cases
Drywood termites damage wood with no mud at all. They tunnel through dry framing, eaves, siding and furniture and push out hard, wood-colored pellets through small holes.
How much damage do termites cause in Texas? #
AgriLife's subterranean termite guide (E-368) estimates the yearly cost of subterranean termite damage in Texas at about $500 million. Two AgriLife publications put the risk to unprotected homes in different terms: about 70% within 25 years in one, and more than 70% within 10 to 20 years of construction in the other. Either way, termite damage is a common problem here, not a rare one.
An AgriLife urban entomologist has also warned that extensive damage can leave floors or walls sagging, and that homeowner's policies typically do not pay for termite damage (AgriLife Today). That is one reason early detection matters.
How quickly does the damage spread? #
Slowly, for most homes. AgriLife's guide on hiring a termite company states plainly that a house will not collapse or be ruined overnight. A mature native colony holds about a quarter million workers, yet TDA notes that most termites damage wood slowly.
That gives you time to:
- Get two or three inspections and compare
- Ask questions about each proposed treatment
- Read the disclosure documents before signing
Formosan termites are the exception to "slow." Their colonies are at least four times larger than native ones, so they can do more damage in less time.
Is the damage old or is it active? #
This is the question most homeowners ask, and the honest answer is that damaged wood alone cannot tell you. AgriLife says the age of termite damage is virtually impossible to determine. What an inspector looks for instead:
- Live termites inside opened galleries or broken mud tubes
- Recent swarmers or wings indoors
- New pellets appearing after old ones are cleaned up, in the case of drywood termites
AgriLife also notes that some termite contracts cover only new damage, which makes it worth photographing and documenting existing damage before treatment.
When the damage is more than wood #
AgriLife's Formosan termite bulletin lists harm that goes beyond framing. Formosan termites:
- Attack more than 50 kinds of trees
- Can chew through plastic and rubber
- Have damaged wiring enough to cause electrical shorts and house fires
Texas A&M has detected Formosan termites in Bexar County, so a large, fast-moving infestation deserves prompt identification. Read more on Formosan termites in San Antonio.
What to do about damaged wood, step by step #
- Leave it alone for now. TDA advises not repairing damage or applying any product until the inspector has seen it.
- Get the termites identified and treated. The type matters: soil-based termites and drywood termites need different approaches. See types of termites in San Antonio.
- Fix the moisture. Plumbing, roof, gutter and AC drip leaks keep wood damp and let termites stay away from the soil longer.
- Have structural damage evaluated separately. TDA states that a wood destroying insect report is not a structural damage report, so sagging floors or weakened framing should be checked by a qualified contractor.
- Repair with prevention in mind. Keep new wood off the soil, and keep soil 6 to 8 inches below the top of the foundation.
How Pest Trappers handles homes with termite damage #
When damage has already been found, a Pest Trappers technician inspects the damaged area and the rest of the structure to find where termites are entering and whether they are still active. The technician notes conducive conditions, explains the treatment options that fit, and follows each product label. Termite inspections and treatments are performed by Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), licensed by TDA for termite control. You receive the disclosure documents Texas requires, and the price is quoted after the inspection.
We serve homeowners in San Antonio, Cibolo and Boerne. For the early clues that come before visible damage, see signs of termites and our termite fact sheet.