How Do Termites Work Together?
WouterTermites are social insects that work together to form colonies. They eat wood as their main food source, as well as other materials. Their guts contain special microbes that break down cellulose into nutrients. They also carry tiny particles of dirt to build their homes. Termites are a destructive threat to buildings.
Termites can be classified into three different groups: dampwood, drywood and subterranean. Each termite has its own role and responsibilities within a colony. A colony can range in size from two individuals to several hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals. The amount of damage they can do to structures is immense. The lifespan of mature colonies is about 50 years.
Termites have three life stages: an egg, a nymph and a mature adult. An adult termite molts several times throughout its lifetime. They also develop wings, but they are not good flyers.
The primary reproductives in a colony are the king and queen. They have black bodies and lay hundreds of eggs per day. The nymphs of the reproductives are young termites that hatch from the eggs of the king and queen. The alates are the mature termites with wings. They are the largest members of the colony.
The soldiers of a colony are the guardians of the nest. They are larger than the workers. Their heads are dark and they have mandibles that are larger than the workers’. Their job is to ward off invaders and defend the nest.
