All About Termites
A $5 Billion Threat.
Although species vary throughout the United States, subterranean termites are the type most likely to attack your home. Their underground colonies can contain millions of termites and they may also colonize and travel through tubes above ground. But you may never see evidence of them… until a pest professional discovers they’ve seriously damaged your home. In fact, termites cause $5 billion worth of damage each year in the U.S. alone—damage not covered by most homeowners’ insurance. In their search for food (wood/cellulose) and moisture, termites will squeeze through cracks as narrow as 1/32 of an inch to enter your home! Expansion joints, foundation cracks, tiny gaps around plumbing, and service entries are all potential entry points. And once they’re in, undetected termites can mean untold damage.
King and Queen
The pair of reproductive termites that successfully establishes a new colony is called the king and queen. The queen’s sole purpose is to reproduce, laying thousands of eggs every year. Some live for as long as 30 years.
Workers
These blind, wingless termites make up the largest caste and are the most likely to be found in infested wood. They build, repair, forage tor food, and care tor other termites. . Workers can molt into nymphs or soldiers.
Nymphs
Nymphs are newly hatched termites that have not yet assumed a colony. They can molt into different castes: workers, primary reproductive or supplementary reproductive.
Soldiers
Soldiers are sterile, wingless, and blind. Their sole function is to defend the colony.
Winged Reproductives
These termites can leave the colony and swarm to a new location, where they shed their wings and pair up to start new colonies
Those “Ants” Might be Termites
• Winged ants have two pairs of wings with the front pair larger than the hind pair; both pairs of termite wings are the same shape and size.
• Ants have elbowed antennae; termites have short, straight, beaded antennae.
• Ants have a distinct constriction between body regions; termites have
a gradual constriction.
• Don’t be fooled by color or size. Ants and termites can vary both in size and color based on species.
Termite
Ant
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