Most people know one thing about termites: they eat wood. While these pests are a destructive nuisance, they also have many fascinating traits. Fortunately, Plunkett’s has extensive expertise on these notorious insects, and we’re here to share some of that knowledge with you.
Whether you need to identify signs of a termite infestation, find ways to keep them out of your home, or simply learn more about these pests, we’ve got you covered. Here are 20 weird and wild facts about termites
20 Unbelievable Facts About Termites
1. Termites Are Good for You To Eat
If you ever find yourself in a pinch, you can turn your termite intruders into a nutritious meal. These pests are rich in iron, calcium, protein, and fatty and amino acids.
2. Termites Never Sleep
Termites build their colonies 24 hours a day, every day. Unfortunately, this means they can potentially do a lot of unwanted remodeling to your home in a short amount of time. The damage they cause is clear evidence that they’re around.
3. Termite Colonies Are Big
The largest termite colony ever recorded contained over three million termites! However, that still doesn’t mean you’re going to see them out and about in your house. Termites are pretty good at staying hidden unless it’s “swarming season” (when reproductive individuals set out to establish new colonies).
4. Ants and Termites Are Enemies
Ants are both predators and competitors of termites. When their colonies are close, they may even engage in full-scale battles. So, if you have termites, there's a small silver lining—your home is likely ant-free!
5. Some Termites Species Build Their Colonies Upward
TIn tropical areas, such as parts of Africa, termite mounds can be up to 30 feet high. If you’re looking for termite signs in your own home, don’t expect any massive towers. Look instead for their tell-tale mud tunnels on exterior concrete walls or along your home’s foundation.
6. Termite Damage is Expensive
TEvery year, termites inflict more than 5 billion dollars of property damage. That’s why it’s important to have a termite infestation taken care of by a highly trained termite control expert ASAP!
7. Termites Are Eusocial
Being eusocial means that they live in a caste system, where each caste has a different role. The blind, pale-colored workers are the ones that chew through the wood in your home, causing damage.
8. Non-Worker Termites Can’t Feed Themselves Directly
The soldier caste (darker with enlarged mandibles) and reproductive caste (the winged insects you may see during swarming season) rely on the worker caste to feed them.
9. Termites Are Hygienic
Termite colonies spend a great deal of time grooming one another, which helps prevent disease.
10. Queens Control Which Caste Each Termite Will Grow Into
They do this by feeding their young pheromone-laden frass. The type of pheromone the queen secretes onto the waste determines which role each termite will grow into.
11. Termites Secrete a Wide Variety of Pheromones
These pheromones are secreted from glands in their chests. They use pheromones for a variety of applications, including communication. One part of effective termite pest control is disrupting their pheromone trails.
12. Termites Have Extra Sense Organs
These are located at the base of their antennae and tibiae and allow them to sense vibrations. Some species choose which wood they’ll infest by sensing the vibroacoustic signals it emits.
13. Termites Also Communicate Through Vibrations
When soldiers sense a threat, they tap their heads against the colony’s mud tunnel walls. These vibrations warn the rest of the colony.
14. There Are Many Species of Termites
More than 2,700 termite species have been found across the world.
15. Some Termite Species Are Ancient
There are even termite varieties that have been around for over 250 million years.
16. Some Queens Can Lay 15 to 25 Eggs Per Minute
That adds up to over 40,000 termite eggs per day!
17. Queens of the Termitidae Family Can Produce Millions of Eggs Annually
In fact, top producers can lay as many as 10 million eggs each year.
18. Termite Queens Live Longer Than Any Other Insect
Some queens may live between 30 and 50 years, reproducing annually. Left unchecked without effective termite treatment, these queens not only create millions of new insects for their existing colony, but their offspring will found numerous additional colonies as well.
19. All Those Termites Add Up
Some estimates say termites make up 10% of all animal biomass on earth, and 95% of soil and insect biomass in tropical regions.
20. The Combined Weight of All the Earth’s Termites is Around 445 Million Tons
For reference, if you did the same thing with humans, we would only weigh 350 million tons.
Termites May be Interesting, but They’re Awful House Guests
Even if you found this blog interesting, trust us when we say you don’t want termites wreaking havoc on your home or business. So if you suspect you have a termite infestation or you want to prevent an infestation from happening, it’s time to get in touch with Plunkett’s Pest Control.
