Termites Treatment

Termites are social insects that feed on wood, soil, or animal dung. Because of their ability to feed on such things, termites are considered pests. If undetected, these can cause serious damage to houses, buildings, crops, and plantations. What do termites look like?Although termites have been called as “white ants,” these 6-legged pests are way different from ants. Termites have 2 body parts – head and body. Winged termites have 4 wings that are of equal sizes. Termites have thick waists and their antennae are beaded.

Termites live in colonies. And every colony consists of reproductive termites, nymphs, workers, soldiers, a king, and a queen. Most termites inside a colony are the workers. These have soft bodies that are light in color. They grow to about 2/5 of an inch, making them look like grains of rice. The workers are responsible for foraging and storing food for the entire colony.

Soldier termites, as their name implies, defend the colony. Soldiers have long legs and powerful jaws.

The queen termite is responsible for reproduction. She is the biggest (4 inches long) termite in any colony. The queen termite can lay up to 4 eggs per minute. Imagine just how fast these pests multiply! In order for the queen to lay eggs, she must mate. The king termite can always be found in proximity to the queen. He grows a bit bigger after initial mating.

If the queen dies, she will be replaced by one of the reproductive termites. The reproductive termites have wings and well-developed eyes. In areas with dry seasons, these alates or winged reproductive termites leave the nest after the first rain of the rainy season. In other areas, alates leave the nest throughout the year, or in spring and autumn. Alates look for a suitable site to land. And once they find one, they shed their wings and attempt to form a nest there.

Now, you know what termites look like. Once you see them, get rid of them as soon as possible.