SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE

As their name implies, these termites live underground. These are the termites that probably cause the most overall damage to structures. Workers and soldiers are about 1/4th inch in size, while the reproductive males and females are about 3/8ths inch. Soldiers have a larger head with long mandibles. The reproductives are dark brown, while the workers are a colorless gray. Workers will eat any damp wood, and even damp carpets, to feed the other members of the colony. Even the nymphs will chew on wood. They have a high humidity requirement, and form tubes extending from the ground to travel in search of wood. The tubes are formed from saliva, soil, and bits of chewed wood. Tubes may also be used as shelter, migratory paths, and an exit for swarmers. Extreme damage usually takes years to develop, and the interior of wood is eaten leaving behind the outer shell, and any harder wood portions the termites didn’t want to finish.

Subterranean termite anatomy

1.Antenna- bead-like segments
2.Eyes- compound
3.Head
4.Legs- 6
5.Wings- on alates, 2 pair (wings longer than body)
6.Thorax
7.Petiole- none
8.Abdomen
9.Color-pale yellow to black
10.Other- colony up to 300,000 workers

Life Cycle
Eggs take about 50 days to hatch. After the first year, several fertile females assist the queen in laying eggs, so a colony can grow quite rapidly. Growth progresses through up to seven instars, which takes about two years. The whole egg to adult process can be 3-4 years in length. Adults will swarm anytime from January through April. The males and females pair off, drop their wings, and burrow into the ground in search of wood and a place to start a new colony.