Termites

What Are Termites?

Termites have been around for an extremely long time. Heck, they have probably been around since the existence of time. While this might be the case, there are still new and exciting things being discovered by the species every day. That being said, there are still a lot of pertinent facts that go hand-in-hand with successful termite eradication. If you want to successfully eliminate termites from your property and keep them away, there are a variety of things you need to be aware of.

• First, termites are very social creatures, meaning where there is one, there are many. What’s even more impressive is, they work cohesively. They work together cohesively as a team, providing water, building shelter, and reproducing. Their main goal is to make it so that the younger members of the colony can successfully venture off and start separate colonies. Think of civilizations only looking to spread.
• Termites don’t just feed on wood. They feed on the cellulose in the wood. Cellulose can also be found in a variety of products and materials like cardboard, plants, paper, furniture, etc. It is just one of the major components of wood.
• If you see a termite mound, it means that the colony is overgrowing. They’ve become so large that their underground burrows have forced their way above ground. That being said, underground burrows aren’t the only way that termites build nests. They also build what are known as mud tubes.
• While there are a variety of termite species, it is the subterranean termite that is most commonly found throughout North America. It is solely responsible for 95% of the $2 billion a year reported in the United States because of termite damage.

A Breakdown Of The Colony

When you sit down and consider everything, a termite colony is like its own little civilization. Not only do the members work together cohesively to further the growth and expansion of the colony, but there is a hierarchy within that colony. To better understand your termite infestation and how to successfully eliminate it, you’ll need to understand the specific roles that each member plays within the colony.

The Queen (Primary Reproductive)

• Take the queen termite, for example. Most people that don’t even know anything about termites and termite colonization know there is a queen. She is the primary reproductive member of the colony and can measure to be as long as 4 inches. She grows so big that if she needs to move, it usually takes several members of the colony to do so. This is just another exciting way termites work together as a unit.
• The queen is one of the sole members responsible for starting the colony and furthering its population, as she’ll lay the eggs. She usually does this until there are enough workers and nymphs to care for the colony. 
• A queen termite can live for more than 10 years and can lay anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 eggs in a day. Extremely fascinating!

The King (Primary Reproductive)

• Given the name and the known role of the queen termite, it probably doesn’t take a genius to figure out what the king termite is all about. He is responsible for assisting the queen in creating and caring for the colony during the formation and foundation.
• The king’s main responsibility is to continue to mate throughout his life to further the growth of the colony

Worker Termites

• Worker termites might be soft-bodied and light-colored with no wings, but they are the workhorses of the colony. With their 10mm bodies, they can resemble that of a grain of rice but do not be fooled by this. These guys are true workhorses.
• They are constantly busy all hours of the day and rarely get to leave the tunnels. They not only construct and care for the tunnels, but they also care for the eggs the queen lays. In addition to all this, they forage food while also feeding and keeping the other members of the colony well-groomed. True workhorses!

Soldier Termites

• Soldier termites are white, soft-bodied, and wingless but responsible for the defense of the colony.
• These guys have long heads connected to two extremely powerful jaws that they oftentimes utilize as weapons against invading predators.
• It is the any that is the primary invading threat to most termite colonies.

Winged Reproductives

• A winged reproductive member of a termite colony is responsible for reproduction. Like the queen, they lay eggs to further the growth of the colony. However, what’s interesting here is, this can include both male and female termites.
• These are also the members of the colony that venture off and form new colonies. They develop wings for this sole purpose.
• While each colony will just have 1 queen and 1 king, there will be hundreds of winged reproductives, making them one of the more crucial members of society.

How To Eradicate Termites Without Breaking The Bank?

Termites are small social insects that infiltrate properties of all sizes and styles. We believe it is possible to prevent termite infiltration and infestation with our professional pest control. By controlling the termite population in San Antonio, it is possible to minimize the number of new infestation cases.

• Remove all decaying wood from your property
• Replace or repair damaged structural components of your home
• Educate your family, friends, and neighbors about the importance of termite control
• Take advantage of our free termite inspection, consultation, and written estimate

If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.