They are very much like ants in that they fan out and randomly explore. If you had an ant colony 5 feet from your house, you know ants would wander inside. Can guarantee the termites are aware of your home.
I put those commecially available termite stakes around my house every season, and poison right around the foundation, just to make my house less interesting to them.
If I was you, I'd probe the sills of your house near the nest, jamming a long nail in, to see if the sill gives way.