Are all termites created equal?

 Not all termites are created equal,  today there are over 2,700 species (and still counting) in the world today. Termites have been munching away on wood for millions of years, even before the dinosaurs roamed this Earth. Approximately 40 plus species live in the United States day. Termites are NOT ants but are sisters (to say) to the cockroach. Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonizing most landmasses except for Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Termite queens have the longest lifespan of any insect in the world, with some queens reportedly living up to 30 to 50 years. Unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, each individual termite goes through an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Colonies are described as superorganisms because the termites form part of a self-regulating entity: the colony itself. Not all termite colonies are the same in that some have only a queen, while some have multiple queens; some have one King to fertilizer all the eggs, some have many Kings (which in some colony’s (depending on the species) the King also takes care of the new born, protecting and feeding them).

Termites eat wood along with other building components like plastic, wall paper, etc.:

While termites can be pests to homeowners, termites are beneficial insects, ecologically speaking. They also play a vital role in the ecosystem by recycling waste material such as dead wood, feces and plants. Many species eat cellulose, having a specialized mid-gut that breaks down the fiber. Termites are considered to be a major source (11%) of atmospheric methane, one of the prime greenhouse gases, produced from the breakdown of cellulose. With the help of microorganisms in their gut, termites digest cellulose (wood). Most termites never sleep, they work non-stop. If left unattended, they will devour an entire wood frame structure. Most termites in the United States live in the ground, with most worker termites being blind. Like ants, they leave a scent trail behind them for others to follow. A typical colony of a particularly aggressive termite species called, Formosana could search an area about the size of a football field and damage the wood. A typical home with termites may have three to four termite colonies around it, with as many as one million termites in each colony.

Should I purchase a home that has (had) termites:

Should the home have a termite problem, the questions would be:                           

• Have they done extensive damage to the home and
• can they be eradicated?

If they have done extension damage to the home, the home inspector should be able to determine that (sometimes with the aid of a structural engineer). We always recommend that all homes be inspected for wood destructive insects (like termites) by a licensed pest control company.

The pest control company can determine if their treatment will eradicate the termites (or other wood destroying insects [ WDI]). Yes, there are many other pests that cause problems with wood frame structures, like certain, ants, bees and other species.

Facts about termites:

• It is estimated that for every human on Earth, there are 1,000 pounds of termites.
• In Singapore, two-inch-long termite queens are considered a yummy food treat.
• Some queens may grow to five inches long and lay up to 30,000 eggs a day.
• Some cultures in the Amazon believe that inhaling the fumes of burning termite nest, can cure the flu.