Florida is one of the only states where homeowners have to worry about both drywood and subterranean termites at the same time — and in Broward County, telling them apart decides how your house gets treated.
Drywood vs. Subterranean at a Glance
- Drywood termites: Live inside the wood they eat — no soil contact needed.
- Subterranean termites: Nest underground, build mud tubes up to your foundation.
- Telltale sign (drywood): Piles of tiny six-sided fecal pellets (frass).
- Telltale sign (subterranean): Pencil-width mud tubes on the slab or block.
- Treatment (drywood): Localized treatment or whole-structure fumigation (tenting).
- Treatment (subterranean): Liquid soil barrier or in-ground bait stations.
Why South Florida Gets Both
Most of the country deals with a single termite headache. Down here in Plantation, the warm, wet, frost-free climate gives two completely different families of termites everything they need to thrive year-round. We don’t get a winter freeze to knock populations back, so colonies that would die in Georgia just keep growing in Broward County.
Drywood termites love our older coastal-style homes, attic framing, fascia boards, and wood furniture. Subterranean termites — including the aggressive Formosan strain — explode out of our sandy, moisture-rich soil. Knowing which one you have isn’t academic. The wrong treatment on the wrong species is wasted money, and a tented house does nothing for a colony living three feet underground.
How to Tell Them Apart
Where they live
This is the single biggest difference. Drywood termites set up shop directly inside dry, sound lumber — your roof trusses, window frames, or a wooden dresser. They never need contact with soil. Subterranean termites must stay connected to moist ground, so they tunnel up through cracks or build those distinctive mud highways to reach the wood above.
What they leave behind
Drywood colonies push their waste out of small “kick-out” holes, leaving little mounds of frass that look like coarse pepper, sawdust, or coffee grounds. Each pellet is hard and six-sided. Subterranean termites use their waste to build mud, so you’ll never see clean pellet piles — instead you’ll spot the mud tubes themselves running up a garage wall or foundation.
The swarmers
Both species send out winged reproductives, but timing differs in Broward. Drywood swarms tend to hit on warm, still evenings in late spring and summer, often around lights. Native subterranean swarmers fly after rain in spring, while Formosan subterranean termites famously swarm at dusk in late April through June — sometimes blanketing a porch light in minutes.
Colony location and size
Drywood colonies are comparatively small — often a few hundred to a few thousand individuals — and they may live entirely inside a single beam, door, or piece of furniture. Subterranean colonies are enormous by comparison, ranging from tens of thousands into the millions for the Formosan strain, all radiating out from a central nest in the soil. That difference in scale is part of why subterranean damage tends to accelerate faster once a colony is mature.
Broward County tip: If you sweep up what looks like a small pile of salt-and-pepper dust under a windowsill every few days, that’s almost certainly drywood frass — not the cleaning crew missing a spot. Bag a sample before you vacuum it up; it helps an inspector confirm the species fast.
Where Each Shows Up in a Plantation Home
Knowing the species also tells you where to look. Drywood termites favor the dry, sun-exposed wood up high and around the exterior: attic rafters and trusses, roof sheathing, fascia and soffit boards, window and door frames, wooden trim, and solid-wood furniture. Because they don’t need soil, a second-story window frame is just as vulnerable as a ground-floor one.
Subterranean termites work from the ground up. They concentrate at the slab edge, the bottom plates of walls, the garage, baseboards, sub-flooring, and anywhere wood sits near or touches damp soil. In our area they’re drawn to the moisture under leaky AC condensate lines, irrigation overspray, and clogged gutters that keep the foundation wet. Spot the difference in location and you’ve usually already narrowed down the species.
Why the Difference Changes Your Treatment
Because drywood termites can live in any piece of wood in the structure, a heavy infestation often calls for whole-structure fumigation — the “tent.” Localized spot treatments work for small, contained pockets, but they only reach what the technician can find. Subterranean termites, by contrast, are beaten by attacking the colony in the soil: a continuous liquid termiticide barrier around the foundation, or a bait system that the workers carry back to the nest and wipe out the queen.
Treat a subterranean problem like a drywood problem and you’ll tent a house while the real colony keeps feeding from below. That’s exactly why a proper inspection comes first. Our team handles correct identification and the matching treatment through our termite removal service in Plantation, so you’re not paying for the wrong fix.
Prevention That Actually Works in Florida
- Cut the moisture. Subterranean termites follow water. Fix leaky hose bibs, redirect downspouts away from the slab, and run dehumidifiers in damp Florida rooms.
- Break the wood-to-soil contact. Keep mulch, firewood, and wooden fence posts from touching the house. Maintain a few inches of clearance between soil and any wood siding.
- Seal entry points for drywood swarmers. Screen attic and soffit vents, and repaint or seal exposed fascia and window trim where swarmers like to bore in.
- Get an annual inspection. In our climate, once a year is the minimum. Many Plantation homes are due for a re-check more often, especially after spring swarm season.
Not Sure Which Termite You’re Fighting?
A quick inspection tells you the species, the severity, and the right treatment — no guessing.
📞 Call (888) 568-9193Frequently Asked Questions
Can a house have both drywood and subterranean termites at once?
Yes. In South Florida it’s entirely possible to have drywood termites in the attic framing and subterranean termites at the foundation simultaneously. That’s why a full inspection checks both above and below the structure before any treatment plan is set.
Do I always need to tent my house for drywood termites?
Not always. If the infestation is small and contained to an accessible area, localized treatments like foam, dust, or spot fumigation can work. Whole-structure tenting is reserved for widespread or hard-to-reach drywood activity.
How do I know if mud tubes mean active termites?
Break a small section of the tube. If it’s rebuilt within a few days, the colony is active. If it stays open and dries out, the tube may be old — but you should still have it inspected, because subterranean termites in Broward rarely stay gone on their own.
Which type is more destructive in Broward County?
Subterranean termites, especially the invasive Formosan species, generally cause faster and more severe structural damage because their colonies are far larger. Drywood termites work more slowly but can hollow out furniture and framing over time if left untreated.
Once you know whether you’re dealing with drywood or subterranean termites, the fix is straightforward — but it has to match the species. If you’ve spotted frass, mud tubes, or a swarm anywhere in Plantation, Sunrise, Davie, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale, or the rest of central Broward County, the team at Pest Control Plantation can identify the threat and recommend the right approach. Schedule professional termite treatment today, or call us at (888) 568-9193.