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Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus.They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, being more closely related to ...
Mound-building termites are a group of termite species that live in mounds which are made of a combination of soil, termite saliva and dung. These termites live in Africa, Australia and South America. The mounds sometimes have a diameter of 30 metres (98 ft). Most of the mounds are in well-drained areas.
The termites we have in the United States do not bite, sting or harm you. “They're really gentle. I mean, they eat your house, which is terrible, but you hold them safely, they can't hurt you ...
The Kalotermitidae are "primitive" in morphology, nesting behavior, and social organization. Unlike other termite species, they have no need to make contact with soil [1] and live exclusively within excavations in wood, lacking elaborate nesting architecture. [2] Drywood termites have an adaptive mechanism for conserving water.
Subterranean termites live in colonies underground, with no mounds or above-ground structures to indicate that they are present. Sugarcane can be severely attacked causing 90 to 100% damage, fruit orchards 80 to 90% damage, maize 45% damage and wheat 10 to 12% damage. [ 6 ]
Eastern subterranean termites, like other social insects, share resources and divide labor based on a caste system. [1] They live in loosely associated societies called colonies which are composed of both males and females. The termites in the colony are generally organized into the worker caste, the soldier caste, and the reproductive caste. [1]
Worker termites find plant debris and macerate it, chewing and moistening the material. They excrete the resulting fecal pellets inside the mound. Other worker termites use this matter to construct fungal combs. The mycelium then spreads through the comb and digests the plant material into a form that makes for nutritious food for the colony ...
Unlike a rodent or ant infestation, it can be difficult to detect termites, which live in the walls, support beams, floors, ceilings, cabinets, furniture and carpet.