What do termites look like? They will be the first line of defence that tries to rush out and protect the other termites, especially if you have made any major openings into the This helps to protect the colony from invaders such as ants and spiders. As with any other pest, correct identification ensures the use of the most effective control methods and allows you to choose the most appropriate prevention steps to try and avoid problems in the future. Drywood termites typically enter structures near the roof line or other exposed wood to begin building a colony. We're available 24/7. Residential: 1300 307 576Commercial: 1300 307 148, or fill out your details and we will call you back, If you suspect you have termites, call us today on 1300 307 825 (office hours) or contact us online, the queen produces neotenics by parthenogenesis, West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) there are no true workers, species of termite that forage in the open, identifying termites from the damage that they cause, Nymph/ larva: these resemble small adults on hatching, Adult: queen, king, reproductives, workers, soldiers, Termites have a straight ‘waist’ between the thorax and abdomen, Termites have a blunt end to their abdomen, Most ant species have a sharp end which can sting or spray toxic chemicals, Termite front and rear wings are of equal length and longer than the body, The front wings of ants are a similar length to their body and longer than the rear pair, The bodies of termites workers and soldiers are beige or tan coloured in most species and the alates are brown. Homes with crawl spaces are at great risk. All rights reserved. They also have eyes but their wings do not develop further. So now if you ever have to ask yourself the question “what do termites look like?”, hopefully this page will now have given you a better idea. Thermal Imaging Termites & Infrared Technology. If you suspect your home has termites, call Terminix® and give these royal pests the boot. Rentokil are the experts in protecting homes, commercial buildings and institutions such as schools, hospitals and care homes. Worker termites have a soft, light-colored skin which looks similar in size to large bits of long-grained rice. Other than mating with the queen and releasing caste-controlling pheromones, the king termite has no other duties in the colony. The termite king has the supporting role to the queen (and probably the easiest role in the colony). The king just has to breed with the queen and father the rest of the termites in a colony. Learn more about the types of cookies we use. Termites are social insects, and a colony is divided into specific castes: reproductives, workers and soldiers. The different species of termites structure their nests differently. In the case of Dampwood termites, the difference in size between queen and king termites isn’t as great. Some species are more voracious eaters than others, so can inflict more damage in a shorter time. © 2020 Rentokil Initial plc and subject to the conditions in the legal statement. They undergo what is termed incomplete metamorphosis, which has no pupal stage: Development is controlled by pheromones produced by the queen and one caste can develop into another caste, depending on the termite species and the requirements of the colony. She is unable to protect herself and without her children feeding and taking care of her, she would soon die. UltimateTermiteControl.com is also a part of other affiliate programs, so if a product is bought on website we link to, then we might receive a commission. Reproductives, as the name suggests are the castes with the ability to mate. Termites have three main developmental stages, unlike ants which have four. Termite colonies live in nests. Shortly after landing they snap their wings off and either excavate a small chamber in the soil (subterranean termites) or find suitable timber to create a nest (dampwood and drywood termites) then mate and produce eggs. See the termite species page for more information on subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites. They are male and female and will develop into the alates that swarm when the weather is suitable. The life of a king termite is spent entirely underground. Alates are sexually mature males and females that develop wings and fly from the hive to start their own colonies. Soldiers defend the colony and workers care for the king, queen and termite nymphs. Males and females pair off and land to look for a nesting site. The king termites look like a dark version of worker termites, but is larger. Find out more about our termite inspection service. termite’s colony. Some of the workers will go out and Different species of termites have different habits and pose different risks to your property. The different types of termite have different ‘signatures’ in the way that they damage your timber. This page describes the different life stages and castes of termites and shows you how to tell flying termites from flying ants. The nymphs differentiate into reproductives, workers or soldiers. Ants come into our homes looking for the food that we eat, such as sweet foods and protein sources, whereas the pest termites feed on wood and other cellulose sources such as paper. In some species, such as the invasive West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) there are no true workers. The eggs hatch to produce nymphs that are cared for by the young workers. Call now. These soldiers are usually smaller than the workers. Termites are social insects, and a colony is divided into specific castes: reproductives, workers and soldiers. In some species the soldiers have an enlarged head with large mandibles (jaws) for defence. The queen produces chemicals called pheromones that are passed around the colony and prevent the other reproductives from developing functional reproductive organs. © 2019 The Terminix International Company Limited Partnership. Termites have several stages in their life cycle from egg to adult and they also have different types, called castes, which have different roles in the nest and look different. The workers make up the largest number in a colony and are the caste that is seen when a nest or infested wood is broken open. The points below explaining the difference between subterranean and drywood termites could be of help when checking your building for signs of activity: Subterranean termites begin feeding on timber from the ground up and mostly enter a building through the sub-structure. forage for food whilst other workers will have the task of looking after the young. The workers then take over the caring and feeding of the young nymphs and also groom and feed the queen. They are quite strong by themselves but by working together they can be a very effective force. When the original queen cannot keep up with egg production needed to sustain or grow the colony, the supplemental queens will begin to produce eggs.