Termites

Sub-terranean Termites

You need to know…

 

  1. They feed on cellulose material such as the structural wood in buildings, wooden fixtures, paper, books and cotton.
  2. A mature colony can range from 20,000 workers to as high as 5 million workers and the queen of the colony lays 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year to add to this total.
  3. Workers are about 0.4cm long and are blind, wingless, soft-bodied, creamy white to grayish-white with a round head. They make up the majority of the termites that actually eat the wood. They are sterile and forage for food and water, construct and repair shelter tubes, feed and groom other termites, care for eggs and young, and participate in colony defense.
  4. Control methods include: physical barriers, chemical treatments, and physical treatments (such as heat, freezing and microwave irradiation).

 

Dry-wood Termites

You need to know…

 

  1. Usually light-brown with 6 legs, long narrow body with antennae.
  2. They have a low moisture requirement and can tolerate dry conditions for long periods.
  3. They remain above ground and do not connect their nests to the soil.
  4. These insects infest dry wood, including lumber and dead limbs.

 

Damp-wood Termites

You need to know…

 

  1. Damp-wood termites are generally much larger than subterranean termites.
  2. The swarmers may be up to 2.5cm in length, including their wings.
  3. The soldiers of dampwood termites have a large reddish-brown head and large multi-toothed mandibles (pincers).
  4. Damp-wood termites require wood with a high moisture content. Wood in contact with the ground or with a constant moisture source is most prone to attack. Damp-wood termites attack the wood directly and usually do not burrow in the soil.

 

Share|