Termites are an insect that have been around for 50 million years, and allow they look like ants they come from an entirely different family. With a number of species and habitats there is a lot to learn about Termites.
Termite nests will either be mounds built above ground or in tree or they will be tunnels underground and hidden. As termites are sensitive to light and humidity nests are located by tracking the mud tunnels they create for themselves to protect them form outside influences.
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.
Diet: When most people think about termites they think of them eating wood but many species eat other organic materials. The termites have a digestion system that allows them to break down wood cellulose and convert it into sugar
Social Structure: Within a colony all the termites have a role to play which allows the colony to survive and prosper. There is usually only one Queen who can live for over twenty years, producing eggs. The King looks after the initial young offspring and fertilizes the Queen. The workers gather the food and maintain the nest. They actually seldom leave the nest as they are very thin skinned and need almost 100% humidity not to dry out. Soldiers exist to defend the colony. The reproducers which develop shedding skins until mature with wings. They can leave the nest to start a new colony or take over the duties of a dying King or Queen.
The flights by the reproducers are called colonization flights. The new King and Queen fly away from the birth nest and find a new site. The Queen then begins to lay eggs to establish the new colony. The King and Queen both drop their wings once a safe site has been picked. While the colony is small both the male and female contribute to raising the young but as the colony grows and the other roles start to be filled the Queen and King focus solely on reproduction. A colony could have anywhere from a hundred to a million inhabitants.
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
Termite nests will either be mounds built above ground or in tree or they will be tunnels underground and hidden. As termites are sensitive to light and humidity nests are located by tracking the mud tunnels they create for themselves to protect them form outside influences.
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.
Diet: When most people think about termites they think of them eating wood but many species eat other organic materials. The termites have a digestion system that allows them to break down wood cellulose and convert it into sugar
Social Structure: Within a colony all the termites have a role to play which allows the colony to survive and prosper. There is usually only one Queen who can live for over twenty years, producing eggs. The King looks after the initial young offspring and fertilizes the Queen. The workers gather the food and maintain the nest. They actually seldom leave the nest as they are very thin skinned and need almost 100% humidity not to dry out. Soldiers exist to defend the colony. The reproducers which develop shedding skins until mature with wings. They can leave the nest to start a new colony or take over the duties of a dying King or Queen.
The flights by the reproducers are called colonization flights. The new King and Queen fly away from the birth nest and find a new site. The Queen then begins to lay eggs to establish the new colony. The King and Queen both drop their wings once a safe site has been picked. While the colony is small both the male and female contribute to raising the young but as the colony grows and the other roles start to be filled the Queen and King focus solely on reproduction. A colony could have anywhere from a hundred to a million inhabitants.
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 cause serious problems for homeowners. When a termite infestation is detected its important that proper termite control procedures are followed.
