What appearance does wood exhibit after being eaten by subterranean termites?

When subterranean termites consume wood, they do not just remove the entire structure; rather, they tend to eat along the grain, leaving the outer layers intact while hollowing out the interior. This feeding behavior creates a "layered" appearance on the wood's surface. The outer shell can still look relatively intact, which can be misleading to someone inspecting the wood. The layering effect is due to the fact that termites create galleries within the wood, allowing the outer surface to remain while the inside is extensively damaged.

Other appearances, such as a completely hollow structure, would not accurately represent how subterranean termites damage wood. The surface being smooth is also incorrect, as the feeding creates unevenness and layering instead. Finally, if the wood appeared unchanged, it would indicate that no damage has occurred, which is not the case with termite activity.