
Unlike the subterranean variety, these termites don't come from underground but fly in to establish their nests. In this case, since the cabinets were relatively new, they may have arrived in the wood used to build the outdoor kitchen. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to tell if the wood was previously infested until the termites eventually bore tiny holes (kick-outs) and begin pushing their frass (waste material) out from their chambers. It was explained to me that they expel these pellets through these holes (see pic below) when they feel they are running out of space. The color of the pellets is determined by the type of wood they are eating.