How to Check Second-Hand Wooden Furniture for Termites

Second-hand wooden furniture is attractive: solid wood, good price and often character. But it can also carry termites or wood borers into your home, and from there they can spread to other furniture and the structure.

This guide gives a practical checklist for checking furniture before you buy.

The short answer

Before buying second-hand wooden furniture, inspect all surfaces, especially the back, base, legs and joints, for mud tubes, small holes, frass, bubbling or flaking finish and soft or hollow wood, tap the wood to listen for hollow sounds, probe suspect spots gently, and ask where it was stored. Do not bring suspicious furniture into your home. If you buy, isolate the piece at first, inspect it again and consider treatment before placing it near other wood.

Where to look

1. Back panels: Often untreated and facing walls.
2. Underside and base: Closest to floor and soil routes.
3. Legs and feet: Where wood meets floor.
4. Joints and corners: Termites and borers favour these.
5. Drawers and the inside of cabinets.
6. Edges of plywood and veneer in engineered furniture.

Signs to look for

• Thin mud tubes along the back, base or legs.
• Small round holes, tiny pinholes or larger irregular openings.
• Piles of frass: fine powder or small hard pellets.
• Bubbling, blistering or flaking paint and polish.
• Soft or crumbling wood, probed gently with a screwdriver tip.
• A hollow or papery sound when tapped.
• Discarded wings or dead insects nearby.

Questions for the seller

• Where was it stored, and in what conditions?
• Has it ever had termites or borers, and was it treated?
• How old is it, and was it repaired?

If you decide to buy

1. Move it to an isolated area, such as a balcony or garage, first.
2. Re-inspect in good light for several days.
3. Do not place it against walls or near other wood until you are sure.
4. Consider professional inspection or treatment.
5. Seal edges and polish to protect it.

If you find signs at home

Isolate the piece, photograph it and call a specialist. Check nearby furniture and the wall behind where it stood.

When to call a professional

For valuable or antique pieces, ask a specialist to check it before purchase, or treat it before it enters your home.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell by looking only at the front?

Not reliably. Check the back and base too.

Are old pieces more likely to have termites?

Not necessarily, but poor storage raises the risk.

Is polish a safe sign?

Fresh polish can hide damage. Probe and tap carefully.

Can infested furniture be treated?

Often yes, if damage is limited, but the source should also be treated.

This guide is part of IPest's complete resource on termite control. For identification help, prevention and treatment options, see our full termite treatment guide for Bangalore.