Basement – Is this a termite? What bug has been eating the wood

basementpestpest-controltermite

Replacing some drywall revealed something has been destroying the wood behind it. While removing things to see more, I saw 3 of these kind of bugs. I originally thought carpenter ants were the cause of the destruction.

Is the bug in the picture just a basement dweller that’s attracted to damp old basements? Or is it likely the cause of the wood damage?

FYI, it’s a 100 year old house in MN.

pic of bugpic of wood damagepic of sawdust

Best Answer

That most definitely appears to be termite damage. The pictured bug is NOT a termite however. It looks like what we call an "earwig" here in the south.