Termites are known to be a destructive pest because they consume cellulose by eating dead or alive plants and wooden structures. Termites live as a colony, and the queen has a life span of several decades, with an average life span of 1 to 2 years.
Termite caste
eggDepending on climatic conditions, incubation takes about 26-30 days | NymphBefore developing into a functional adult, one must experience at least three molting. |
workerWingless and blind. Responsible for food foraging throughout the colony and nesting activities. | 士兵Wingless and blind. Use their huge jaws to defend the enemy's colony. Like workers, they can forage, but they are not that effective. |
antReproductive adults with fully developed eyes and wings. It uses its wings to migrate to other places to develop its own colonies. During mating, their wings will fall off and focus on caring for their first newborns. | goldNo wings, well-developed eyes. Unlike ants, they survived after mating. |
queenNo wings, well-developed eyes. 30,000 eggs can be laid every day! | |
Signs of termite infection
Underground termites build mud pipes from the ground through the tunnel and begin to invade your home. The mud pipes act as a protective barrier for dehydration and their predators.
The mud pipe is composed of chewed wood, feces and soil, and is also called a cardboard box.
Drywood Termites will not build mud pipes like underground termites. They are embedded in the wood they infect because they do not require soil contact.
Subterranean termite feces are usually moist and can also be used for incorporation into mud pipes.
The dry wood termites, whose feces are called Frass, are dry because they use rectal pads to extract most of the water before excretion.
As mentioned above, Drywood Termites will not build mud pipes, and feces usually appear near the wood they infect.