How to tell if a tree stump has termites (white ants)

An old tree stump in the yard can look harmless, but to a colony of white ants (termites) it’s a five-star meal – and a stepping stone to the timber in your home. If you’ve got stumps near the house, it pays to know what to look for.

Why stumps attract white ants

Stumps and buried roots hold moisture and rot slowly, which is exactly the warm, damp timber termites love to nest in. From there they tunnel underground – a single colony’s runs can spread out over a 200-metre radius – hunting for more timber to eat. An untreated stump close to the house is basically an open invitation.

Signs a stump has termites

Look for thin, pencil-width mud tubes running up the stump or nearby timber, soft or hollow-sounding wood, fine mud packed into the cracks, and tiny pale ant-like insects if you break a piece open. When we grind an infested stump out, we often find a hollow centre packed with a mud nest.

What to do about it

The simplest, most permanent fix is to remove the breeding ground entirely – grind the stump out, roots and all. That takes away the food source and the nest in one go. If you’ve seen active termites near the house, also get a licensed pest inspector to check the building itself; stump removal handles the stump, but the home may need a separate treatment.

We grind out white-ant affected stumps right across the Gympie region. Give James a call for a free quote.

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