When people think about Termites they often think they are ants - but the two species comes from different families in the insect world. Termites have been around millions of years and can eat their way through wooden houses but they are actually quite delicate insects.
Nests are either above ground or below ground. Those nests above ground are usually mounds or built in trees or on poles. Those below ground consist of a series of tunnels and can also be located under tree stumps.
The nests themselves need to have very high levels of humidity as the worker termites are very thin skinned and will easily dry out and die. They also need to maintain a high temperature and it is usually between 25 or 30 degrees inside the nest.
People thinking about termites often think their only diet is wood but there a many species out there that eat other organic matters. The termite digestive system is advanced as it can easily break down woody cellulose into more useful sugar.
A colony is made up of termites fitting into a strict social structure. The one Queen who can live for more than twenty years producing new eggs. The single king has a role to fertilize the eggs and to help bring up the children. The thin skinned worker termites gather food and do nest maintenance but seldom leave the nest. This is due to their thin skin and the need for a humid environment. The colony is protected by a class of Soldier termites equipped with fighting equipment. And there are also Reproducers. This class matures through to having wings. In spring or fall when temperatures are warm and humid they can fly away to start a new nest.
Colonizing Flights are done by the reproducer class and usually occur before and after winter when there is warm humid weather. When a new site is found the new King and Queen lose their wings and the Queen begins laying eggs. Initially they both look after the offspring in the new colony but as it grows the social structure comes into being and the Queen concentrates on laying eggs. A colony can have from several hundred to several million termites.
A tough thing about termites is that an infestation in a wooden home may show no signs until even five years after the termites have moved in. - 30195
Nests are either above ground or below ground. Those nests above ground are usually mounds or built in trees or on poles. Those below ground consist of a series of tunnels and can also be located under tree stumps.
The nests themselves need to have very high levels of humidity as the worker termites are very thin skinned and will easily dry out and die. They also need to maintain a high temperature and it is usually between 25 or 30 degrees inside the nest.
People thinking about termites often think their only diet is wood but there a many species out there that eat other organic matters. The termite digestive system is advanced as it can easily break down woody cellulose into more useful sugar.
A colony is made up of termites fitting into a strict social structure. The one Queen who can live for more than twenty years producing new eggs. The single king has a role to fertilize the eggs and to help bring up the children. The thin skinned worker termites gather food and do nest maintenance but seldom leave the nest. This is due to their thin skin and the need for a humid environment. The colony is protected by a class of Soldier termites equipped with fighting equipment. And there are also Reproducers. This class matures through to having wings. In spring or fall when temperatures are warm and humid they can fly away to start a new nest.
Colonizing Flights are done by the reproducer class and usually occur before and after winter when there is warm humid weather. When a new site is found the new King and Queen lose their wings and the Queen begins laying eggs. Initially they both look after the offspring in the new colony but as it grows the social structure comes into being and the Queen concentrates on laying eggs. A colony can have from several hundred to several million termites.
A tough thing about termites is that an infestation in a wooden home may show no signs until even five years after the termites have moved in. - 30195
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Termites can pose a serious problem for homeowners. When a termite infestation is detected its important that proper termites control procedures are followed.
