Termites how do they live

Resources Dig Deeper on Termites. There are bugs that look like ants in my house. Q Could these be a type of termite, and if so, what is the best way to kill them? Holes and tunnels in interior drywall. Q I have just been notified by a tenant that an interior drywall has developed holes and tunnels. Dampwood Termites. Conehead Termites. Dark Southeastern Subterranean Termites. Desert Subterranean Termites. Those that survive will start a new colony. Flights usually happen in the spring, though this can vary depending on the species and location.

For example, the eastern subterranean termite usually swarms from February through April , while the Formosan subterranean termite swarms from April through July. This is when the new colony begins. A termite queen lays 6 to 12 eggs within a few days or weeks after mating. In the United States, most subterranean species lay fewer than eggs during the first year.

Egg-laying increases with time. Eventually, a queen may lay thousands of eggs in a day. The king and queen take care of their first batch of eggs together.

Termite larvae are the termites that just hatched and are small, soft and lack color. Once the termite babies grow into nymphal workers, they take over and care for their younger siblings, the new eggs and the king and queen.

Workers make sure the eggs are clean and free from bacteria and fungi from the soil. The colony grows slowly at first, but as the queen gets older, her capacity to lay more eggs increases and the growth of the colony quickens as a result.

For the first two weeks of life, termite larvae are fed regurgitated food, which helps them grow into workers, soldiers or more developed nymphs. Most termites will become workers, which, as mentioned previously, are immature termites that cannot reproduce but do most of the work for the colony.

A small percentage of these workers will develop into soldiers to keep the colony safe from outside threats. Some termite workers will continue to develop and turn into nymphs.

These nymphs eventually grow wings and become swarmers capable of reproduction. In some cases, tertiary reproductives develop from workers and do not have any wings at all.

Secondary and tertiary reproductives can keep a colony alive if something happens to the king or queen. Occasionally, termite nymphs with wing buds will actually lose their wings and revert back to workers. As you can see, termites are very flexible when it comes to development, and what they become largely depends on what the colony needs at the time.

Most termite workers never develop into adult reproductives , and instead, stay workers their entire lives. Those that do become reproductive adults undergo certain changes. As reproductive nymphs mature, their bodies darken and they develop functional wings and eyes. For a few species, soldier termites are absent; therefore, nymphs and workers defend the colony. The king and queen secrete inhibitory pheromones that work synergistically to suppress reproductive development of workers and soldiers.

Juvenile hormones in termite eggs influence caste differentiation such that numbers of workers and soldiers remain constant throughout the life of the colony. For termites that build giant mounds, trail pheromones are used in subterranean tunnels as a means of navigation.

Isopterans get their nutrition from cellulose in wood. Digestion of wood occurs by bacteria and protozoans in the intestinal tract of many termites. Young termites acquire the microorganisms when workers feed them.

Some tropical termites use cultivated fungi to predigest food rather than microorganisms. Termites nests have special members that act as soldiers. They have extra big jaws, or sometimes chemical sprays to use on enemies of the nest. Soldiers and workers defend the nest. Termites tunnel through wood allowing for decomposition of the wood into humus. Termites cause extensive damage to buildings and any other sturcture made of wood.

In some cultures, termites queens are considered a delicacy and source of protein for humans. Termites are recyclers of wood. Termites are closely related to cockroaches based on a primitative termite species found in Australia. The fossil record suggests that termites have existed for approximately million years. Isopterans are the oldest known social insect. Does not apply to past balances or outstanding invoices. Rated 4. Reviews Contact. Call now for an instant quote!

Where Do Termites Live? What is the Ideal Habitat for Termites? Leave your information below and we will call you back with a free quote. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Close Window.