Subterranean termites are commonly referred to as white ants, but apart from the fact that termites and ants are both classed as insects they exhibit major differences both in habits and in physical appearance.
They are called subterranean termites because in most instances they have to maintain contact with the Soil to obtain sufficient moisture to survive.
Termites in general, play an extremely important function in nature, in that they scavenge rotting timber in natural situations, but unfortunately a few species of termites attack timber structures associated with buildings, and these are labelled as pest species.
Termites are described as social insects, which means that they exist together in a colony and are separated into three distinct castes each of which has a specific duty.
The soldier termite is responsible for the protection of the colony and forms only a very small portion of termite population within each colony.
The worker termite is by far the most numerous of the castes, and as the name would suggest their duties include foraging for food to feed the entire colony, caring for the young termites in the colony nursery, and building the nest. The worker termites are responsible for the damage caused to timber structures in their hunt for food, which consists mainly of cellulose, sugars and the starches present in the timber. The worker termites and the soldier termites are both blind and sterile.
The third caste is the reproductive termites responsible for propagating the species. These reproductive termites of both sex eventually grow wings and at this stage they are referred to as "Mates". Once a year, usually in early summer, on a warm humid evening, they swarm from the nest through an opening especially prepared by the workers. These male and female reproductives fly only a short distance from the nest before they alight and shed their wings prior to mating. If the area where they have landed is suitable, then a new colony is started, which after many years can grow into a mature colony with a population exceeding one million termites. Most of these future " king and queen " termites, however, do not survive. They are eaten by predators such as birds, lizards and spiders, and many of them die of exposure after being unable to reach an environment where they can start a new colony. These alates, or winged termites, are often observed on window ledges at night where they have landed after being attracted by the light.
When a building structure is attacked by a mature colony of termites a considerable amount of damage can occur in a relatively short period of time.
Whenever termites are forced to leave the soil in their search for food, they construct mud tunnels between the soil and the closest source of timber. These tunnels not only prevent attack from natural predators, but they also ensure that a high level of moisture is maintained within the workings to prevent the termites from losing excessive moisture through their thin skin or cuticle. When these mud tubes are observed, it is recommended that the customer leaves then undisturbed so as to enable the pest control company to both identify the species of the termite and also to assist in determining the exact location and extent of the termite attack.
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