Termite Facts!

Facts about Termites

Termite lollipops? Why not!

Termites can actually be really good for you…to eat! If you happen to be starving but have able access to termites, you might just be in luck. While they’re not the most ideal 5 course meal, and I’m sure they won’t be winning a Michelin Star any time soon, they’re quite nutritious. Rich in iron, calcium, protein, fatty and amino acids, they’ll at least keep you moving until you can find some different grub, pun intended.

Might need a coffee to keep up!

Termites pull all-nighters, every night. They build their colonies 24 hours a day, so there’s no way we could keep up with the damage they are doing before we even wake up to see it. You often won’t even see termites. They do everything they can to stay hidden due to their sensitivity to the sun. They use mud tunnels to get around almost always. The only time you’ll really see termites is swarming season, when the reproductive termites swarm to begin making new colonies.

Sworn Rivals!

Ants and termites are actually enemies, so if there’s only one silver lining to having termites, at least there’s no ants around! Termites also tend to build their colonies upward, sometimes up to 30 feet tall. The problem is they only tend to build them in open tropical areas, so unless your AC’s been out for a few months, you’re more likely to identify termites by the mud tunnels they leave behind.

Okay Queen!

Termites actually have a caste system, or a system that determines where they place as soon as they’re bon. Think of a royal family, each person has their duty that is established by the queen. Termites work the same way, they have a caste they fall into, and that’s what they are for the rest of their lives. Some could say the biggest difference between the royal family and termites is the sheer amount of them! Some queens even laying 15 to 25 eggs per MINUTE! Over 40,000 eggs per day, and some having as many as 10 million a year. Now that’s a lot of babies!

Long Live the Queen

Some of these queens live longer than any other insect, living between 30 to 50 years. One queen can produce all those eggs and therefore all those babies. That adds up fast though! A lot of those babies will go on to found their own colonies, and only spread further and further if left unchecked. Some estimates say the sheer amount of termites on Earth make 10% of all animal biomass, and 95% of soil and insect biomass in Tropical regions. 

Call Me Beep Me…

Termites also have an odd way of communicating, they use vibrations to gossip. Not far off from what humans do with our phones vibrating at all times of the day, termites vibrate to let each other know where food sources are, where it’s dangerous to go, etc. They sense these vibrations by using their extra sense organs. These organs are located at the base of their antennae and tibiae. Some species even use this to determine what kind of wood they want to infest.

What to do if I think I have an infestation?

Great question! The best part about all these facts is, in little ways, it’ll help you identify the starting signs of an infestation. If you think there might be an infestation, call Turbo Pest Solutions. We can come out for an inspection, get a plan together with you and your family, and get your pest problem, turned into a pest solution!

Expert Insight:

Written by a licensed pest control professional with hands-on experience serving residential and commercial properties in Citrus County Florida, supported by consistent positive customer reviews on Google.

If you are having trouble with ants or any other pests, call Turbo Pest Solutions at (352) 345-7572