0
Termites
This category is for questions and answers about termites. Termites are colony insects. They eat dead plant material, including wood. They are very important within the ecosystem, but they can be a detriment to human housing.
532 Questions
How are termites and ants similar?
Termites are actually more similar to cockroaches than ants. However, termites and ants may seem similar due to their body structure and antennae. Ants are less destructive than termites.
Which insects are the natural enemy of termites?
Ants are termites #1 worst enemy. There's also a type of assassin bug that hunts termites by disguising themselves with nest material. They then kill a termite, and use their victim's body as a lure for other termites.
How does protozoans enter into the gut of the termite?
How do trichonympha help termites?
A termite is the only insect that can digest wood cellulose... The reason they can do this is the trichonympha live inside the termites and they are what breaks the wood down making it digestible.
Termites are insects somehow comparable to ants or bees also forming huge colonies. Adult termites have legs and maggots do not. Maggots are the larves from flies for example, after they hatch from an eggs. Maggots can live on their own in cheese, meat or in open wounds when the egg is layed on it. Those maggots later build a capsule in which they transform into a new fly. The termite queens lays eggs from which larves hatch. Termite larves are fed by other termites. Search for more information development of bees, wasps, bumble bees or Vespa crabro.
What is the classification of the termite?
Kingdom: Animalia Phyllum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Isoptera: Termites are known as detritivores, which means that they eat decomposing plant matter. Around 10% of the estimated 4,000 different termite speciesare known as pests, as they can cause damage to buildings and agricultural land.
Ants do not have backbones it was because they do not belong to vertebrates group.
Termites can be classified into two types based on environment and colony size and they are dry wood and ground termites.
1. Drywood termite colonies live within the wood even with minimal moisture level. They do not require the presence of soil for nesting. A mature drywood termite colony can only have hundreds to a thousand termites. It is a tiny size compared to other colonies which could reach over a million termites. They feed on cellulose which is dominantly found in wood and wood based products. These termites can be found inside wood furniture, wooden walls and cabinets, etc.
2. Ground termites on the other hand necessitates moisture source in their nest and food for sustenance. They nest underground in soil and build webs of mud tubes as pathway while they forage for food. The mud tunnels also serve as their protection against predators, particularly ants which are their arch enemies. Ground termites are also capable of building nests above ground which are called aerial colonies as long as there is reasonable source of moisture nearby such as leaky pipes, roof and plumbing leaks.
It seems that there are many different species even among termites.
Where as some do not eat much wood at all, others seem to have a feast on wood.
A program I saw on National Geographic said that they grew their own mushroms in their houses, and that was their primary diet.
It varies how efficient their digesting-system works on cellulose.
Some are in fact dependent on bacterial parasites in order to get energy out of cellulose.
Various species prefer leafs and half rotten wood. Other species again prefer the fresh stuff. I do not think it matter much whether your garden furniture is softwood or hardwood regarding the right species of termites.
I am however sure the hardwood would last slightly longer.
How do you tell if your home has termites?
Dry wood with and against the grain of the wood with small fecal pellets - the damage will be smooth and clean. Subterranean will have no visible pellets, the damage will be filled with mud/dirt & will only go with the grain of the wood.
I once found that I had termites because there was a "tube" on the interior wall involved. Even though I had the wall taken out, luckily the termite colony had died. The outside wall had a faucet.
Identifying termitesTermite wings will be twice as long as the body, ants right around the same length as the body. Termite antennae will be pointed outwards, ants will be at a 90 degree angle. Dry wood termites are brown/maroon or gold in color. Subterranean termites will be jet black. Subterranean wings will have a whitish appearance, Drywood wings will have an iridescent appearance.It is a really good idea to go through a few termites pictures to get yourself familiar with how termites look like. Going through a few pictures always works better than reading text for me. You may use google image search to find some pictures. I have included a website focused on termites pictures (!) in the related sites list as well.
Getting an InspectionMost pest control firms will do an inspection for free. However, make sure you call a reputable firm and get a couple of estimates before having work done. Most lenders require a clear termite report before making a loan.The termites can do can be very severe. Keep your eye open for termite swarmers in or around your house. Using spectrum terminate bait stations as a early termite detection kit may also help to protect your home from termites. Their pop-up indicators will let you know if termites are foraging in the ground close to your home. These should only be used as termite monitors and not a stand alone treatment to rid your house of termites.
Are termites with wings or without wings?
Termites can be both winged and wingless, depending on their life stage. Winged termites, known as alates, are the reproductive members of the colony that leave to establish new colonies, typically during swarming season. Wingless termites, which include workers and soldiers, perform essential tasks like foraging for food and caring for the queen and young. Once a colony is established, most termites do not have wings.
- The ant is a nymph. (Meaning being a pre adult from the egg.)
What is the best way to kill drywood termites?
The best way to get rid of drywood termites is XT2000 Orange Oil, due to its capillary ability (this means that the treatment penetrates and travels through the pores of wood). It dissolves the exo-skeleton and eggs with no "move out" cost. Fiber optics are used to locate the colonies. It has been used in California in place of fumigation for the past ten years. I agree that XT2000 Orange Oil is a great termite eradication options but let's not forget about the fact that there are various termite infestations and sometimes it might be too late to use such a device. That's why I think that people looking for answers to this question should also try fumigation as a method to kill and get rid of termites.
Termites get food from hunting fir it. Termites like to eat wood. You can find termites in forests and even in a home that is made out of wood.
form_title= Termites form_header= Save your home. Hire a pro. Where are the termites located?*= _ [50] Do you have any pets?*= () Yes () No Have you noticed any damage?*= () Yes () No
