Okay, so we know that termites are capable of chewing away our precious homes to ruins if not remedied, so what is next? Knowing that they can destroy properties, it is probably wise to learn a thing or two more about them so we can identify them from the rest, gain knowledge on how they live and ultimately combat an infestation.

What do termites look like?

Good question, but before that let us first take a look at how termites live in a colony. You see, termites are actually social insects. Commonly referred to as little ‘white ants’, termites, much like ants, live in a social caste system wherein there exist five levels of hierarchy: the queen, the king, the reproductives also known as swarmers, the soldiers and the workers. All members work specific duties necessary for the survival of the colony. This setup in a colony of termites pictures harmony and peace within their community equipped with food and protection, an admirable trait that maybe we, humans can learn from. Still, these pests pose significant threat to our properties and needs to be dealt with accordingly.

Worker termites are the busiest members of the colony. Comprising a significant portion of the population, workers are responsible for basically taking care of the whole colony. They forage for food which is wood, build and maintain mud tunnels in the soil, inside damp wood or walls as their pathway to and fro the colony, personally feed the other members, and taking care of the queen and king. They are born blind but they are expert builders. They are really tiny soft-bodied creatures and are whitish or creamy in color thus coined the nickname ‘white ants’.

The soldier caste serves their purpose by defending and protecting the colony from invaders and predators, their arch enemies being ants. Soldier termites have larger and armoured heads with protruding jaws that look like pinchers which can be orange, brown, yellow or red in color used to crush intruders. Some soldier species also release fluid from their stomach when they bite. This will eat up a termite’s energy, killing him eventually after the bite.

Swarmers are also called reproductives because it is their caste that swarms in order to mate and build new colonies, acting as new queens and kings. They are more or less 3/8 inches long, dark brown colored and have small frontal gland pore on their heads. Swarmers are winged termites and swarms usually during daylight. Their wings are brownish grey in color with front wings larger than the hind wings. They are easily attracted to light so swarms can also be observed at night and are usually found around house lights. Uncharacteristic to termite colonies, these swarmers do not come out undetected. They usually swarm openly during spring where moisture in the air is enough for them to go out and mate. The presence of swarmers in your home is actually a visual sign of infestation and this should prompt you as a responsible homeowner to contact professional help to inspect your property and start termite treatment.

A king’s purpose in a colony is to continuously mate with the queen in order to lay eggs and grow the colony. It assists the queen in building and taking care of the colony during its early stages. The king is a tad bit smaller than his queen in size and has equally sized wings that extend beyond the abdomen. Its abdomen is usually darker in shade.

Now, the queen termite is considered the ‘leader’ of the colony. It is the queen who builds the colony from scratch. It has a slightly longer body than his king which can range from 1/2 to 5/8 inches in length. The abdomen has lighter shade and usually striped. Believe it or not, a queen termite can lay up to 10,000 eggs a day! At this rate in the right environment, it can potentially create a colony of millions over a short period of time.

When asked once more ‘What do termites look like?‘ you now have the basic idea, however taking time to look at pictures of termites can also give you a vivid description and idea on how they work and infest structures.