The termite that lives in the timber, not the soil
Bundaberg is one of the Queensland places where Business Queensland records the West Indian drywood termite as present. It is a different animal from the termites that come up out of the ground: it gets its moisture from the timber itself, which is part of why it is hard to find.
What is here, and what it is
The West Indian drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis, is an introduced species in Australia. Business Queensland records it as established in Maryborough and many Brisbane suburbs, and also present in Bundaberg, Townsville and Rockhampton. Bundaberg is on that list by name.
The same department, on its page for drywood termites, calls Cryptotermes brevis the world's most destructive drywood termite, and records that it has caused considerable economic damage to timber homes in Queensland. It describes the insect as an extremely destructive pest of structural timber, and difficult both to detect and to identify correctly.
The detections have a written history. Business Queensland records that the termite was first detected in Maryborough in 1966, and that it is now established in many suburbs in Greater Brisbane and other Queensland coastal towns and settlements. In Queensland, everyone has a general biosecurity obligation to take reasonable measures to minimise its spread.
Two termites, and why the difference matters
The distinction is the whole of the practical problem. Subterranean termites need contact with the ground to keep moisture in their nests and tunnels. Drywood termites do not: they take their moisture straight from the wood they are in.
| The drywood termite | The subterranean termite | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it gets water | Straight from the wood itself, so it does not need contact with the soil. | From the ground, which its nests and tunnels must stay in contact with. |
| What its galleries look like | Clean, with dry pellets of frass, which the termites eject from their galleries. | Muddy or caked in appearance. |
| Why it is missed | Colonies can be very small, and there may be no external sign of an infestation other than the faecal pellets. |
Business Queensland's advice for a household follows from that: know the habits of drywood termites, and have regular building inspections.
How a household would know
The department is blunt that this is difficult. The termite can establish colonies in concealed areas of houses and buildings.
One sign is the droppings, called frass, which are often found on windowsills, on bedclothes and on the floor. CSIRO's guide to managing termites describes what to look for: expelled frass underneath small holes in wood, holes that may be only a millimetre wide, and frass that feels gritty, like sand or ground pepper.
The department lists one instrument a household can ask about: thermal imaging with infrared cameras, which can detect the heat signatures of drywood termites huddled together as they feed. It also gives the timescale that makes the whole subject frustrating. It can take around five years, or even longer, for the termite to become detectable at all.
Some timbers are more exposed than others. The department records that the termite is commonly found in pine, especially native hoop pine, and in cabinet timbers such as maples, red cedar and silky oak.
The reporting question, two positions
Two official pages, written at different times, say different things about what happens when the insect is found. The current position leads.
As of 2026: reports are welcome, not required
Business Queensland's current page states that the West Indian drywood termite is not regulated biosecurity matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014, which means reporting and diagnostics are helpful but no longer mandatory. Its identification page puts a date on the change: as of 2026, reporting suspect or confirmed detections is not required under Queensland legislation, though reports are welcomed by the department.
A report still does something. The department records that reporting suspect detections lets it collate information such as the suburbs where the termite has been reported, and make that information available to the public. Diagnostics have loosened as well: suspect detections no longer need laboratory confirmation, though samples can still be collected for the Plant Biosecurity Laboratory. If the suspicion comes from a digital image, a physical sample is still asked for, so it can be confirmed under a microscope.
The older position: report it so the government can organise eradication
CSIRO's guide to managing termites was still live in October 2026, and it still tells readers that drywood termites can be hard to bring under control, and that a find in Queensland should be reported to the state government so that it can arrange eradication under the Biosecurity Act 2014. That is the position the current department page has moved away from.
What replaces the automatic pathway is a person: the department suggests contacting an experienced pest management technician, who may help identify the termite and advise on treatment options.
The ground, dated
- 1966The West Indian drywood termite is first detected in Maryborough. It is now established in many suburbs in Greater Brisbane and other Queensland coastal towns and settlements.
- Around 5 years or moreThe time it can take for the termite to become detectable at all.
- As of 2026Reporting suspect or confirmed detections is not required under Queensland legislation, and reports are welcomed by the department.
If a treatment is needed
Business Queensland's position is that if you wish to treat it, you need to contact a licensed pest management technician, and that the treatment is at your own expense. The same page tells you what to ask for: evidence of the technician's pest control licence, which for this work must have endorsements for timber pests and fumigation with the site environment specified.
Structural fumigation, the kind known as tenting or tent fumigation, is a specialist service, and not all pest management technicians are authorised to conduct it. Infested timber and furniture can be moved to an approved fumigation treatment facility instead, or a technician may be able to treat items on site.
For timber or furniture you no longer want to keep, the department gives a phone number for advice on disposing of it safely: 13 25 23. In most cases, once infested items have been treated and then wrapped or sealed, they can be deposited in the general waste stream at your local council waste management facility. There are no restrictions relating to this termite on moving timber products from Queensland to other states.
One more licence applies before anyone advises on termites rather than treating them. For termite advice, a report on termite management systems or infestations, or the installation of a termite management system in a new building, the technician also needs a licence issued by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, held in addition to the pest management licence.
The short of it
A destructive termite, difficult to find, with a colony that can be tiny and a sign that is often a scatter of gritty pellets. Reporting it is welcome rather than required, as of 2026. If you choose to treat it, the department says you need a licensed pest management technician to do it, at your own expense.