Life Cycle

Once a colony reaches a substantial size, alates are born. Alates (Winged Swarmer’s) are reproductive that will leave the nest in attempt to start new colonies. Once they successfully find a mate, they will search for a location to from their new colony. Once this happens, alates shed their wings and begin building a habitable nest for their queen. The king and queen of the colony will live below ground breeding and releasing pheromones that will manipulate the colonies’ behavior. It will most likely take 5-10 years before these royals are able to colonize the point of producing their own alates. This fascinating cycle of life is why termites are so successfully and widely distributed.