Termite Nest: Where Termites Nest Around Sydney Homes and What to Do

By Nick, Active Termite Control, licensed pest controller (NSW licence 5074559), Earlwood. Updated 21 October 2026.

The short answer: A termite nest is the colony's home base, and around Sydney homes it's usually out of sight: in the ground, in a stump or tree, or under the house. Coptotermes, the termite I find most in Sydney homes, travels from the nest through the soil to the timber. Don't dig it up or spray it. The colony gets baited first.

Where do termites nest around Sydney homes?

Coptotermes nests in the ground, in a stump or a tree, or under the building. That's the termite I find most often in Sydney homes.

The nest is rarely where you find the termites. Coptotermes travels from the nest through the soil to the timber it's eating, so the termites in your skirting or door frame can be a long way from home.

What is a termite nest?

A termite nest is where the colony lives and breeds. The workers you find eating timber are only part of the colony. They go back and forth between the nest and the food, and they'll keep coming as long as the nest is alive.

That's why killing the termites you can see doesn't fix the problem. The colony is somewhere else.

Is a termite nest the same as mud workings?

No. Mud workings are what termites build where they're feeding or travelling, not the nest itself. Termite workings are solid brown mud. They protect the termites as they move through or over the timber. Finding workings tells you termites are active; it doesn't tell you where the nest is.

If you've found fine, black, dusty debris instead, that's ant frass, not termites.

Should I dig up or spray a termite nest?

No. Don't dig it up, break open the workings or spray them. It kills the termites you can see and sends the rest away, which makes the colony harder to find and treat.

How do you get rid of a termite nest?

The colony gets baited first. Bait goes onto the workings or into stations near the activity. The workers feed on it and take it back, and the colony dies off. I use Nemesis and Trelona. With Nemesis, the colony is usually gone 6 to 12 weeks after the termites start feeding (Nemesis brochure).

Colony treatment carries no warranty. Once the colony is gone, long-term protection goes in: a chemical barrier or a monitoring system. I explain how I choose in chemical barrier or monitoring system.

What if the termite nest is in a fruit tree?

A nest in a fruit or nut tree gets baited, never treated with chemical. The Termidor HE label says not to treat trees bearing edible fruit or nuts, so baiting is the way to deal with that colony.

What should I do if I find a termite nest?

Leave it alone and get it looked at.

1. Don't dig, break or spray it.
2. Take a photo from a distance, and of any mud workings on the house.
3. Note where it is: in the ground, a stump, a tree or under the house, and how far from the walls.
4. Send me the photo through the pest photo check for a likely answer, or book an inspection.

Only an inspection can tell you whether the house itself has termites. Inspections are from $330 single storey or $350 two storey. Book a termite inspection.

Common questions

Where do termites nest around Sydney homes?
Coptotermes, the termite most often found in Sydney homes, nests in the ground, in a stump or tree, or under the building.

Is a termite nest the same as mud workings?
No. Mud workings are solid brown mud that termites build where they feed or travel. The nest is where the colony lives, usually somewhere else.

Should I spray a termite nest?
No. Spraying kills the termites you can see and sends the rest away, which makes the colony harder to treat.

How do you get rid of a termite nest?
The colony is baited first. With Nemesis, the colony is usually gone 6 to 12 weeks after feeding starts. Long-term protection goes in afterwards.

What if the nest is in a fruit tree?
It gets baited, never treated with chemical. The Termidor HE label says not to treat trees bearing edible fruit or nuts.

Is there a warranty on treating a termite nest?
No. Colony treatment carries no warranty. The warranty comes with the barrier or monitoring that goes in afterwards.

Sources

• Termidor HE label (March 2025): don't treat trees bearing edible fruit or nuts.
• Nemesis termite bait brochure (Ensystex): colony elimination usually 6 to 12 weeks after feeding starts.