Bugs found on a bathroom floor and in bath towels sent one homeowner to Reddit for answers, where commenters quickly warned that the insects looked a lot like termites that could be coming from inside the walls.
What happened?
The poster shared blurry photos in the r/whatsthisbug subreddit and later said the home is in central California. "We found them in our bathroom on the floor and in our bath towels," they wrote.
Most commenters quickly warned that the insects appeared to be termites. Much of the advice focused on figuring out where they were emerging from, with users urging the homeowner to inspect cracks, holes, and the mud tubes termites often use to travel through a house unnoticed.
After investigating further, the poster shared a more alarming update: "My boyfriend actually tore open the wall and we can't see any inside, so we don't know where they're coming from."
Why does it matter?
Termites can quietly eat through wood, flooring, and structural supports for long stretches before a homeowner realizes there is a problem. By the time live insects start showing up inside towels or on the floor, the source may already be hidden behind drywall, beneath flooring, or near the foundation.
When faced with termites, it is best to investigate where the insects are coming from and contact a local pest control expert to get ahead of the infestation.
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What are people saying?
Luckily, people offered quick identification and advice in the comments.
"If any are still alive, follow them," one commenter wrote. "In the end though, you'll probably have to consult with an exterminator anyway."
"We found them in our ceiling just now, there's a ton of them stuck in a spider web just falling out of the wall, we're calling an exterminator tomorrow," the original poster added in response.
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