Basic characteristics and differences in features and behavior are also listed here.
If you are interested in the types of termites for some reasons, read on.
Related:5 Bugs That Look Like Termites But Arent
In this article
What is a termite?
We already know them as one of the most prolific and destructive pests in the world.
They are insects niching on leaf litters, wood, and soils.
They have elongated bodies, follow a caste system, and are comparable to ants and other insects.
What do termites do?
There are four major reasons why termites should be eliminated immediately.
#1.Termites are damaging your home silently
We have already said that termites are silent destroyers.
Unlikeroachesand rodents, you would not usually see them at home.
As such, the problem they pose might have become extensive before you could do something.
For this, you have to be aware of identifying infestation marks.
You have heard of ceiling and walls collapsing because of termite damage.
This alone proves why termites should be terminated immediately.
For one, their presence could disturb mildew and molds in ceilings, flooring, and walls.
Here is a five-point comparison between termites and ants to help you in identifying them at first glance.
They get their name well, from their orange cone shaped heads that become darker colored in age.
Inside the home, they feed on anything that has cellulose.
This includes shrubs,trees, paper, furniture, and wood structures.
2.Dampwood Termites(Zootermopsis angusticollis)
Their categorization already reveals that these termites love damp conditions.
They usually feed on wood with lots of moisture content, hence, the name dampwood too.
This one is considered as the largest termite group across the US, found across the Florida Keys.
They niche on moist wood, and within high humidity conditions.
They feed on damp wood and usually niche where wet wood structures are.
They love to feed on structural wood and niche in soils that are prone to flooding.
Desert termites are foragers, building mud tunnels in the soil.
Their unique survival strategy would be the substance called carton.
It is moisture retentive made from moist soil, organic matter, and their saliva.
They feed on decomposing plant materials.
Unlike all other drywood termites, they tend to eat the wood across the grain.
Compared to the southeastern drywood, this punch in builds smaller colonies (around 3000 per colony).
They are found extensively in Arizona and California.
Their caste includes alates with a striking smokey-black color and soldiers with two mouthparts.
They love feeding on exposed wood like those of window frames and furniture.
They are dubbed as the most destructive termite group because they are aggressive and voracious eaters.
They build their colonies in underground and walled structures.
This group alone has at least 2000 known species.
Their caste system includes very aggressive soldiers with an oblong head.
They are known to consume the largest amount of wood among all types of termites.
6.Subterranean termites
As the name suggests, this classification of termites live underground.
This pop in of subterranean termites is extensively found from the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains.
Its adult reproductives are distinguished for their clear wings, shiny black color.
They niche in woodlands and their favorites are creosote and greasewood.
This one is smaller than the termites of this pop in.
They are only 1/3-inch in length and are known for their dark brown or black body.
They are predominantly found in the East Coast.
Their soldiers are distinguishable for their rectangular mouths and heads.
They particularly feed on structural lumber, pine wood and plywood.
Their infestation trademark would be partially eaten wood.
This punch in of subterranean termites is usually found in Southern California and Arizona.
They are one of the smallest in the subterranean bang out, thriving in dry conditions.
The adults are yellowish brown in color while their soldiers are brown in color, sporting rectangular mandibles.
Their workers are cream colored and highly resembling ants in terms of appearance.
They can attack wood structures, cacti, and some varieties of softwood.
Look for a honeycomb print or a hollow section in woods containing mud.
Those would be the alert signs for desert subterranean termite infestation.
As the name suggests, they are found naturally in the East Coast up to the Midwest.
They are cream in color, with elongated bodies, and at a half-inch length.
They are notorious for feeding on wood on building structures.
This one annually wreaks havoc in Washington, Nevada and California.
They are especially notorious because they have a Queen producing at least 2000 eggs per day.
They feed tree stumps, and decaying wood.
As such, here are some termite FAQs that you should know of.
What are the worst termites?
As have been revealed here, theworst termites would be the Formosan termites.
It is actually considered as a subterranean termite although they are larger than the known subterranean termite subtypes.
They live both underground and in-wall.
They are dubbed as such because they consume the greatest amount of wood and they are also very aggressive.
They are also the hardest to eliminate.
What do termites hate?
Like all other pests and pesky insects, termites hate strong scents.
They also hate garlic, clove buds, and cinnamon.
What time of year do termites become active?
For one, subterranean termites are most active during spring and summer.
Do termites fly?
The flying termites are technically called the swarmer or the alate.
Alates are most visible during summer and spring.
Seeing alate at home is a sure sign of infestation.
How do you tell if termites are active in your house?
This one depends on the number of termites in a colony.
On average, termites can destroy a home 2-8-years.
A more exact figure would be that they are able to eat a foot of wood in six months.
Annually, termites damage at least 500,000 homes in the US alone.
Do termites live in trees?
Trees are where timber, logs and wood come from so understandably, termites can live directly in trees.
Once you find mud tubes along tree barks, that is already an indication that termites live there.
Do termites bite people?
Termites do bite wood and furniture but fortunately, they never bite people.
Are termites harmful to humans?
Having spores lingering in the air at home can cause asthma attacks and trigger allergies.
They can also cause coughing, itchy and sore throat and eyes, sneezing, and other respiration-related issues.
Is a termite good or bad?
So, instead of answering this linearly, let us focus on why termites have good sides too.
Can termites get in your bed?
Yes, but not all.
The termite types that could find their way into your bed would be drywood termites and Formosan termites.
Are termites hard to get rid of?
Termites are hard to get rid of because there are just too many of them.
Why do termites swarm after applying treatment?
Swarming after applying treatment is common and this could occur for 4-6 weeks.
The reason behind this is that treatments against termites specifically attack the workers and the adults which reproduce.
Eliminating the workers would and hampering their prolific reproduction ultimately weaken the colony, leading to total termination.
What attracts termites in the home?
What wood will termites not eat?
The subterranean termite is considered as the most common termite in the US.
They are believed to be thriving in all American states with the exception of Alaska.
They are most extensive around subtropical locations ranging from Southern California to Florida.
Are termite damages covered by home insurance?
Reports note that termites pose an accumulated property damage cost at $5M every year.
As such, it is understandable as to why termite damages are usually not covered by home insurance.
Are there tools or gadgets that can detect termites?
They are prolific layers, silently niching in your homes structures and feeding on your wood structures.
