Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) Home Inspection 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

When termites chew wood, they produce a substance known as frass. This frass is essentially the wood particles, alongside feces, that termites expel as they digest the wood material. The presence of frass can be a strong indicator of a termite infestation, as it serves as evidence of their feeding activities in the structural wood. Unlike just wood powder, which implies broken-down wood, frass more accurately represents the combination of digested wood and waste, making it a distinguishing by-product of termite activity.

While termites do create tunnels and galleries within the wood as they consume it, these structures are not the direct output of their gnawing but rather results of the behaviors and needs of the colony as they create pathways and living spaces. Wood powder, while it may be a result of termites eating away at the wood, does not fully encapsulate the composition and characteristics of the material they produce. Frass is specifically tied to termite activity and is a key sign that aids in identifying and confirming termite presence in a property.