Termite Biology - Dallas / Fort Worth, TX

Subterranean Termite Biology

Termites are insects in the order Isoptera. They are the only insects which are able to subsist on the cellulose portion of wood, which they do with the assistance of bacteria living in their digestive systems. Their role in nature is to help decompose dead trees and return their materials to the soil to nourish new growth. When they infest homes, however, they can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage, and even undermine the very structural integrity of the house.

Subterranean termites live in the soil and eat wood. They are very sensitive to light and air currents and very prone to dehydration, and therefore must maintain a protected environment whenever they are out of their nests.

To do this, when the wood termites are feeding upon is separated from the soil, they construct mud shelter tubes between the soil and the wood. The presence of these tubes are sure evidence that a house has, or has had, a termite problem. But just because you don't see shelter tubes doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a termite problem, because termites frequently build tubes in hidden areas such as inside walls and cinder blocks.

Termite Society

Termites are social insects who live in colonies composed of four castes:

The Queen is the colony's primary reproductive. Her primary duty is to lay eggs. She also regulates many aspects of the colony's biology and existence by secreting chemical substances called pheromones. These chemicals regulate the gender of offspring, the numbers of members of each caste, and probably countless other aspects of the colony's life that we haven't even begun to fully understand.

Large colonies may also have additional, supplemental reproductives.

Worker termites are small, cream-colored insects who look like grubs. They do all the work of the colony -- and all the damage, as well.

Workers usually are the most numerous individuals in the colony. They are small, wingless and whitish and may be found in damaged wood. Workers care for all of the other termites and forage for food (wood).

Alates, also called winged reproductives or swarmers, are produced when a colony is several years old and relatively large. Swarmers are adult termites of both sexes whose job is to fly away from an existing colony and start a new one. They emerge in great numbers, usually in the early spring or late summer, seeking a favorable spot of soil where they can set up house, mate, and start a new colony. The great majority, however, usually fail, and die a few days after emerging.

Soldier termites are produced by large, mature colonies. They have enlarged heads and mandibles that are adapted to fighting. (In fact, soldiers are unable to feed themselves and must be fed by the workers.) Their sole job is to defend the colony from predators, mainly other insects like ants.

The presence of soldiers in a colony is pretty good evidence that the colony has been around for a while.

Ants or Termites?

Very frequently, homeowners come across what they believe to be termites and begin to panic, when what they actually have is one of the many species of ants that look like termites to the untrained eye. But there are readily visible differences between ants and termites:

Ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have straight antennae.

Ants have hourglass-shaped bodies. Termites have cigar-shaped bodies.

The front wings of ants (when present) are longer then the back wings. All of a termite's wings (when present) are the same length.

Termite Control and Termite Damage Repairs

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