Will termites eat drywall?

A reader e-mailed in this question:

"part of my bedroom wall is drywall and there is one place where there is sandy stuff coming out of a hole something has made in the wall. a freind said it might be termites but I didnt think theyd eat drywall and its only a small spot. help me."

Yes, termites will eat drywall (also called sheet rock). They will really eat pretty much anything based on wood, because it has something called cellulose inside, which is what termites need in order to survive. Your description sounds exactly like you have a termite problem. Termites will push waste and feces out of holes in their colony, and it looks like little pellets or sawdust.

Even if it is only a small spot, that doesn't mean the colony is small. That might only be the end to one tunnel. Even if the colony is small right now, it will get bigger - and as time goes on, it will do more and more damage to your home. You need to get the drywall inspected and treated to deal with the problem before it gets even more serious.

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