The tubes provide protection from
natural enemies and prevention of moisture loss.
Although clearly diagnostic of subterranean termites,
tubes are not always present. Fecal pellets
of subterranean termites are often clumped
in the galleries or incorporated into the shelter
tubes and feeding areas of the wood and rarely
are loosely scattered as with dampwood termites
(Fig. 11). Fecal material packed in the galleries
of the wood appear to be “scaly” and offer a distinctive
clue to damage from subterranean