Signs of termites in furniture, and what each one means
Furniture is rarely where a termite problem starts. It is usually where the problem shows up, because it stands against a wall or floor the colony already reached.
Do termites really eat furniture?
Yes, but not usually first. Furniture is dry, seasoned wood, and a colony tends to reach it by travelling through a wall, a floor or a skirting. A wardrobe or bookcase pushed against an affected wall is the classic case. If you find damage in a piece of furniture, treat it as a clue about the building, not just about the piece.
Which signs show up in furniture?
Termites eat from the inside and leave a thin skin, so the surface can look fine. These are the clues that give them away:
- A hollow note when you tap a leg, a back panel or the underside of a shelf.
- Fine pellets or dust on the floor beneath the piece, or on a shelf.
- Mud or soil on the back, along the base, or where the piece touches the wall.
- Blistered or rippled paint and veneer with no spill to explain it.
- A leg or panel that gives when you press it, or crumbles at the edge.
- Discarded wings on a nearby sill after warm, humid weather.
One clue is a prompt to look closer. Several on the same piece, or on pieces along one wall, is a reason to book an inspector.
Termites or something else?
Furniture wears out in plenty of ways. This table shows how the usual causes differ.
| Cause | What it usually looks like | What separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture borers | Small round exit holes, fine powder | Holes on the surface, with loose gritty powder |
| Moisture damage | Swelling, staining, lifting veneer | Follows a damp wall or floor, with no mud |
| Wood rot | Soft, crumbling, dark timber | Linked to constant dampness |
| Ordinary wear | Scuffs and loose joints | The sound is solid and nothing crumbles |
| Termite activity | Hollow timber, pellets, mud | The surface is intact while the wood inside is not |
Borers and termites are often confused. What termite damage looks like shows how the wood itself differs.
Move the piece away, and no further
If you suspect a piece, ease it a little way from the wall so you can see the back and the floor. That is as far as you should go. Do not drag it out of the room, break it up or take it apart. Carrying a live piece through the house can drop termites and soil along the way, and you lose the evidence the inspector needs to read.
Leave it where it stands, keep other pieces off that wall, and tell the inspector which wall it was against. That detail often points straight to the entry.
What not to do
- Do not poke, drill or cut into the timber to see how far it goes. That opens the galleries.
- Do not spray anything. No surface spray, no bug bomb, no home remedy.
- Do not break a mud tube or pull the piece apart to look inside.
- Do not patch, sand or repaint. Cosmetic repair hides live evidence.
A disturbed colony abandons the route and returns somewhere concealed, so the feeding carries on where nobody is looking. Why spraying termites yourself makes it worse covers the rest of the cost.
What to do instead
Photograph what you found, note the place and the date, and book a timber pest inspection carried out to AS 4349.3. Tell the inspector exactly what you saw and where. What a termite inspection covers explains what they can and cannot see.
Frequently asked questions
Can termites live in furniture only?
Rarely. Furniture is usually reached from a wall, floor or frame that is already affected, so a damaged piece normally points to a problem in the building.
How can I tell borers from termites in a table or chair?
Borers leave small round exit holes and loose gritty powder on the surface. Termites usually leave the surface intact and eat from the inside, sometimes with mud or pellets nearby.
Should I throw out furniture that termites have damaged?
Not before an inspector has seen it. It is evidence. Keep it where it is, photograph it and book an inspection.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- Department of Health, Victoria. Pest control — termites
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Protect against termites — termite management systems and inspections
- Standards Australia. Australian Standards (AS 3660 termite management, AS 4349.3 timber pest inspection)