How Fast Do Termites Reproduce?
WouterIf you’ve seen a termite in your home, you might be wondering how fast do termites reproduce? They’re incredibly prolific and spread throughout the house quickly. They also leave damage that can be quite large. Once a termite colony has established itself in your house, it’s difficult to stop them from destroying it. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent termites from taking root in your house.
Termite colonies consist of two different castes. The workers are the ones who take care of the colony. They build the chambers, clean up the eggs, and eat the food. The reproductives, or swarmers, are the ones who mate and produce the new queen. Normally, these queens lay about 30,000 eggs a day. They can live up to 20 years.
Generally, a termite nymph will molt several times before it becomes an adult. Eventually, it’ll develop wings. During this time, it will have a dark color and develop functional eyes.
The nymphs of reproductive termites are often called swarmers, as they fly in search of mates. In spring, hundreds of these swarmers may make a flight. Many of them die during the journey. The few survivors start a new colony.
The transformation of the nymphs into adult termites takes a year. During the first two weeks, they are fed regurgitated food. This food helps them to grow into workers. In the early stages of development, they lack color and are small.
