Subterranean termites and drywood termites are the two most common types of structure-damaging termites, and their differences dictate completely different control strategies.
Subterranean termites (such as Reticulitermes and Coptotermes species) live in soil and require a continuous source of moisture and high humidity to survive.
They connect underground nests to above-ground wood food sources via mud tubes — a signature structure of subterranean termites.
Subterranean termite colonies are enormous (millions of individuals) and are the most common type of structural termite in China.
Drywood termites live entirely within the dry wood they excavate (requiring no contact with soil), have smaller colony sizes (typically a few thousand individuals), and are identified by their characteristic expulsion of hexagonal fecal pellets.
In China, drywood termites are mainly distributed in warmer southern regions, relatively uncommon but extremely difficult to manage once present — because they require no soil contact, traditional soil chemical barriers are ineffective against them, and whole-structure fumigation or localized wood injection treatments are usually necessary.