Many homeowners are unaware of a termite infestation until
some serious damage announces itself via the termite "swarm"
experience (literally thousands of winged creatures invade one or more
rooms all at once). At this point major home repairs are a distinct possibility
and the wife is probably going to be home to experience the "swarm"
personally. This is when a proactive approach is also one that can save
you considerable dollars. And that is to prevent the infestation in the
first place by taking a few simple steps you and saving the cost of exterminator
inspections and the like.
Click on image for larger image.
Subterranean termites &
Drywood termites
Biology
Subterranean termites are ground-dwelling,
social insects that live in colonies. A colony or nest of subterranean
termites may be up to 12-20 feet below the soil surface to protect it from
extreme weather conditions. Termites travel through mud shelter-tubes to
reach food sources above the soil surface. The mature termite colony has
three castes: a) reproductives (king and queen), b) soldiers, and c)
workers. The colony reaches its maximum size in approximately 4 to 5 years
and may include 60,000 to 2,000,000 workers. New colonies are formed when
winged males and females from a parent colony emerge in flight or swarm.
It is thought that a colony must be from between 2 - seven years of age
before it can throw-off swarmers. The photo above is a dish of two
types of termites. Subterranean on the left and drywood on the
right.
Drywood termites need no link to
the soil to obtain the water needed to support the colony. Although
the colonies are smaller, they can still do a lot of damage to a
home. And the worst thing about this type is that they are virtually
impossible to detect and locate inside a structure. Most times, the
extermination includes erecting a huge colored tent over the house or
structure and pumping gas into the tent to fumigate the termite
colony. This is a very costly process, and their is no residual
benefit to having your home fumigated.
Winged alate (reproductive - "swarmer")
The winged reproductives are dark brown to brownish black and have two
pairs of equal length wings that extend well beyond the body. Swarms are
common in spring and fall, especially after a rain. After a flight, the
winged males and females return to the ground and shed their wings. The
wingless males and females pair off and search for sources of wood and
moisture in soil. The royal couple digs a chamber in the soil near wood,
enters the chamber and seals the opening. After mating, the queen starts
laying eggs. The queen may live up to 25 years and lay more than 60,000
eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are yellowish white and hatch after an
incubation of 50 to 60 days.
Worker termites
Worker termites are seen above ground inside structures they are devouring
and they stay deep within the colony and tend the queen. But in the spring
or fall, "winged reproductives" may be noticed swarming around
the outside of the colony. This form of termite can be easily confused
with a winged ant. Winged termites are typically only 1/8" or so in
length and have straight antennae and have no "waistline". Their
wings are longer and are of equal length. Ants are generally several times
larger. Ants have elbowed antennae and three distinct body segments, with
very slim waists. Their front wings are much longer than the back ones.
Termites break off their wings and ants do not.
Termites are beneficial insects in nature because they break down dead
wood and are responsible for returning nutrients to the soil.
One severe by product of termites is they cause nearly one billion dollars
of damage to structures each year. That's more damage than all fires,
storms, and earthquakes combined! Termites don't try to destroy things,
they just normally consume dead wood and happen to be particularly good at
it.
Subterranean termite "Queen"
Subterranean termite queens can lay
up to 86,000 eggs a day! Often the queen's swollen body can weigh more
than a regular pencil. The rest of the colony is made up of termites who
all play specific roles in keeping the colony healthy. Among these
termites are the workers. Worker termites keep busy 24 hours a day
digesting wood fibers and other forms of cellulose which they eat, digest
and share with the other members of the colony. Workers also clean the
royal pair, the King and Queen, and carry away the eggs. Worker termites
have a protozoan living inside their gut that enables them to digest
cellulose.
Termites can produce whatever the colony
needs are. That is any cast the colony needs can be produced by the
colony. For instance, termites that are going to become queens are
fed special chemicals and food by the workers to make sure that they grow
up with wings and the ability to mate and to lay eggs. These
termites, often called "reproductives", fly off from the nests
in large numbers during the wet part of the year. At this stage they all
look a lot alike, whether they are male (kings) or females (queens).
They fly away from the nest to start a new colony in another place. If
they are successful, they meet a mate and burrow into the soil. Once
there, they start to form a new colony. It is only when the king and queen
are safely together in the nest, that the queen begins to grow and produce
the eggs to start a new colony.
There's not standard "termite queen". It is true however, that
some termite queens can be very large (up to 3-4 inches in length and
about an inch in diameter), and some lay a lot of eggs in a very short
time. In laboratory experiments some species have been shown to lay an egg
a second, and so could theoretically lay over 30 million eggs a year! This
sort of termite can lay such a large number of eggs for a number of colony
needs
1. Because she is able to grow tremendously
in size such that her ovaries fill almost her whole body.
2. She is constantly cared for by worker
termites, and often has a special chamber ( "queen cell") in the
center of the nest where she can stay, which is kept at a constant
temperature and humidity and is safe from danger.
3. The queen does nothing else except
lay eggs and, in any case, is usually too large and bloated to move
around. This means that if there is any danger the workers have to move
the queen to protect the colony. Without the queen, the colony dies.
Queens make a very nutritious meal for ants and, in some parts of the
Africa, humans love to eat them too!
"Soldier" beside a "worker"
termite
This particular "caste" member provides the colony with
protection from other dangers which may threaten the colony. The
heavy and ominous mandibles can crush a
marauding insect. Soldiers must be fed by
workers since they cannot feed themselves.
Subterranean Termite shelter tubes on wood.
Termites consistently erect these mud shelter
tubes wherever they go inside the structure. An interesting
note about the termites worst nightmare....an ant! Ants just love a
juicy termite and cause havoc when the invade a colony. However, the
mud used to build these tubes is very hard and I have seen tubes going
completely through an ant hill. The reason is that the saliva used
to cement the soil together makes the tube virtually indestructible to
ants.
Evidence of Termite Infestations
- Wood
damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood
galleries or tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain
broken mud particles with fecal materials. In the case of an active
colony, white termites may be found in infested wood.
- The
presence of flying winged males, females or their shed wings inside
the building indicates an infestation.
- The
presence of mud or shelter tubes extending from the ground to woodwork
or on foundation walls also may indicate infestation. Workers travel
periodically via shelter tubes to their nest to regain moisture and
perform feeding duties. Each mud tube is approximately the diameter of
a lead pencil.
How Old is the Damage?
Based on general feeding activity,
it takes 3 to 8 years to cause appreciable damage. There have been some
predictions that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000
workers may consume a one-foot length of 2" x 4" pine in 118 to
157 days. In Texas, the extent of damage may be different because of
extended feeding activity during the lengthy foraging season.
Inspection for Subterranean Termites
Termite damage may be located by
probing wood with a screwdriver, ice pick or knife. In Texas, start
inspection in the inside and use a bright flashlight. Look for mud tubes,
or pieces of mud on walls and (during swarming season) the activity of
swarmers. This can be dropped wings or termites captured in spider
webs. If necessary, get help from a professional pest control
operator or advice from an experienced entomologist. A qualified
professional inspector should inspect the exterior surfaces
of the foundation and interior of the structure,
particularly bathrooms. Inspection should include interior of
exterior walls or walls adjacent to construction where wood is on or near
the soil. Mud tubes are solid evidence of termite activity.
