There are many species of termites that will work to attack and destroy the wood structures of a home. Prevention of termite attacks, along with killing termites, is vital to avoid damage to your home. Termites live in colonies underground or within a homes structure. The "worker" termite is the one who searches outside the colony for food. It is responsible for consuming wood, creating "galleries", and feeding the colony. Signs of termites include mud tubes on foundations walls, swarms, and infested wood.

The King and Queen are the reproducing termites in a colony. Production of eggs is their only function. Eggs are small and transparent. These are groomed and tended to by the workers. Larva hatches and is the same size as the eggs. The worker is the one who leaves the nest, going to the wood supply and bringing back food for the colony. The soldier defends the colony. This termite has a long, armored head and mandibles, capable of cutting an enemy ant in half!! The soldier sounds the alarm to the colony by banging his head on the sides of the tunnels.

Nymphs become "swarmers" (king and queen) when they reach maturity. They usually leave the colony in the spring and the fall. After their short flight is over, they drop their wings and the male swarmer's begin to look for a mate. Very few swarmers survive to produce a colony due to the fact that they are exposed as prey to various birds and insects. Termites start swarming around the first part of March until the end of May. Their actions are dependent upon the weather.

Workers feed along the grain of the soft portion of the wood, feeding on cellulose (the main component of the wood) and galleries lined with muddy fecal materials. Large colonies can consume approximately one pound of wood per day.

Earth tubes can be found between soil and some wooden structures under the house. This is a sure sign of subterranean termites. These tubes can go up a foundation wall, along plumbing or directly from the soil to the wood.

DRYWOOD TERMITES

These creatures are larger than subterranean termites, up to one-half inch long. They have no worker caste in the colony and create colonies in wood, with no connection to the ground necessary. Often, they are found in attic wood and need very little moisture. They feed off of wood and occasionally other cellulose material. Nymphs pass through seven instars before reaching adulthood. Sexual forms eventually swarm to form new colony and cause serious damage to structures, often long before they are discovered. Piles of sawdust-like pellets are a distinct sign of infestation. These termites are not as widespread as subterranean termite, though. The colonies may contain up to 2,700 members.

SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES

Subterranean termites are social insects that live in colonies in the soil. Each colony consists of three castes of individuals which are the reproductive, workers, and soldiers. Reproductives can be winged (primary) or wingless (secondary). Workers are wingless, white to grayish - white with a round, yellow-brown head and measure 1/4 to 3/8" long. Soldiers are wingless and resemble workers except that they have large, rectangular, yellowish-brown heads with large jaws.