Termites

Termites are considered as major wood-destroying pest. Many homes are damaged by termites’ infestations. Statistics even indicate that three times as many homes nationwide are destroyed by termites as compared to those damaged by fire. Approximately the damage caused by termites exceeds $1 billion.

Subterranean termites cause a great havoc in North California. It is better to gain enough information about termites. Knowing how they live or feed may help minimize the possibility of damage to the homes.

Termites are known as social insects. Just like the ants, termites live in a colony or nest. The difference between the ants and termites can be monitored closely through stereoscopic microscopy. Termite colonies are usually found underground, near a tree or stump. Typically, the colony contains three castes of individuals.

As studied through stereoscopic microscopy, the reproductives come in various forms. Primary reproductives are winged and are commonly called swarmers. Brown-black to pale reddish-brown in color with pale or smoke-gray wings, they measure about ¼ to 3/8 inch long as noted with stereoscopic microscopy. Sometimes, they can be mistaken for winged ants. However, there are many distinct differences between them when examined closely on stereoscopic microscopy. Usually a termite colony has a single pair of productives composed of a king and a queen. They stay in the colony and are fed by the termite workers. It is interesting to note that the reproductive pairs can exist for 15 to 25 years.

A closer scrutiny of the workers through stereoscopic microscopy reveals that they lack eyes and wings. White to grayish white in color, the workers have round, yellow-brown head and measure also about ¼ to 3/8 inch long. The workers are tasked to maintain the nest and look for cellulose-based foods. Their foraging and feeding functions cause damage to structural wood.

The soldiers, just like the workers are also wingless. As observed through stereoscopic microscopy, the main difference between the two is that the soldiers have big, rectangular, yellowish and brown heads as well as large mandibles or jaws. The role of the soldier is to defend the colony from the enemies like the ants.

It is important to know the life cycle and habits of the termites. As monitored through stereoscopic microscopy, a mature queen has the capacity to lay thousands of eggs annually. The workers look after these eggs during the incubation period which lasts for two weeks. The nymphs are fed by the workers with regurgitated food. These new nymphs can be best studied with stereoscopic microscopy. Once molting is through, these new nymphs become members of the working caste. Subsequently, as they mature, they become reproductives, workers, or soldiers.

A termite colony grows. As it grows, the workers develop the nest and their feeding area. A termite colony does not usually occupy one large underground nest. The colony divides into a number of small nesting sites. As studied, a mature colony may contain 200,000 to 2,000,000 workers. There are instances when colonies may only contain as few as 50,000-60,000. It is therefore possible for an acre of land to contain as many as 12 termite colonies. Typically, termite colonies mature in more or less 3-6 years wherein swarmers are produced. These swarmers depart from the colony through swarm castles. As observed through stereoscopic microscopy swarmers are poor fliers, thus, they only move a few meters from their emergence spot. After dropping to the ground, the swarmers discard their wings. The surviving males and females look for compatible partners and then discard their wings. They look for compatible mates, and then burrow into the ground to become kings and queens of their own new colony. There are instances when a new colony forms from secondary reproductives that may not swarm. Instead, they just move out to form their own colony.

For workers to live, they need high humidity. Since they do not scavenge in open areas, they take the soil aboveground. They then construct mud tubes outside as well as into the wood. Termites can likewise transfer their colony up and down in the soil to locate the best temperature and moisture conditions that they need.

Despite the fact that termites feed on wood, they actually depend on microscopic organisms called protozoa in their gut to digest the cellulose, which is the basic element of wood. Colony workers look for food to bring back to the nest where they secrete substances from their mouths and anuses to feed the reproductives, soldiers and nymphs. It is best to extensively study these termites using stereoscopic microscopy.