The Drywood Termite is able to live completely inside timber structures or articles made of wood such as furniture without any outside source of water. It is frequently introduced into new locations inadvertently, and causes damage to the structural timbers of buildings and to wooden objects such as furniture.

The Drywood Termite infests sound softwood and hardwood timbers, both structural wood in buildings and moveable objects. Several colonies can co-exist in a single structure and objects as small as picture frames can be attacked. The pseudergates excavate galleries through the timber but leave a thin veneer of surface wood intact. One wooden door was found to house twenty colonies, judging by the number of reproductive pairs of termites found inside. In the later stages of an infestation the surface of the object may bulge or blister. Small holes known as “kick-out holes” 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 in) in diameter are sometimes made through which faecal pellets can be pushed out, accumulating in a conical, dusty pile below.