Short answer: not in any way you need to worry about. Termites aren't a threat to you or your pets — the danger is to your house. Here's the honest picture.
Every so often a homeowner who's just found termites asks a question that's clearly been worrying them: "Are these things going to bite my kids?" It's an understandable fear — you've discovered thousands of insects living in your walls — but the reassuring truth is that termites are essentially harmless to people and pets. The threat they pose is entirely to the structure, not to you.
Here's the honest picture.
Can Termites Bite? Technically Yes. Practically No.
Termites have mouthparts built for chewing wood, and soldier termites have larger jaws for defending the colony. In theory a soldier could pinch skin if you picked one up and handled it — but it would be harmless, wouldn't break the skin in any meaningful way, and essentially never happens in normal life. Termites have no interest in people. They don't seek you out, they avoid light and open air, and they stay sealed inside the wood. You are not on their radar as food or threat.
They Don't Carry the Risks Other Pests Do
Unlike mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas, termites:
- Don't transmit disease to humans.
- Don't have venom or a sting.
- Don't infest people or pets — they're not parasites; they live in wood.
- Don't bite in your sleep or feed on anything but cellulose.
For pets, the story is the same: a curious dog or cat that eats a few termites isn't in any danger from the insects themselves. Termites are not toxic.
The Real Health Angle Is Indirect
If there's any health consideration, it's indirect and worth knowing. Some people can have mild allergy-type or respiratory reactions to termite droppings or the dust from heavily infested wood, particularly in poorly ventilated spaces like an infested attic. And because subterranean termites are associated with moisture, a serious subterranean problem can travel alongside the dampness and mold that actually do affect air quality. In both cases, the fix is the same as the fix for the termites: address the infestation and any moisture driving it.
Where the Danger Actually Is
The reason to take termites seriously has nothing to do with bites and everything to do with your house. A colony feeding undetected for years can compromise structural wood — the framing, joists, and beams that hold the building up — and that's where the real cost and risk live. Our post on termite damage and repair costs covers what that looks like, and the 5 warning signs of a termite infestation covers how to catch it before it gets there.
So: don't worry about being bitten. Do worry about how long they've been in the wood. If you've found termites, the useful next step isn't reaching for bug spray — it's finding out how far they've spread.
A free inspection tells you exactly that, with no obligation.