How Termites Eat Wood

Termites are a destructive pest that can cause damage to your home. Their colonies grow very rapidly. The amount of wood they can destroy in a single colony depends on the type of wood they are feeding on. If your home is infested, it is best to contact a professional right away.

The most common species of termites in the United States are eastern subterranean termites. These termites have mud tubes and build honeycomb structures in the wood they eat. They prefer to live underground, but they can have colonies with thousands or even millions of members. The colonies can last for years.

Termites use a process called derivation to break down cellulose into food. The protists in the termite’s gut help them do this. There are hundreds of different types of protists in a termite’s gut. They produce enzymes for the digestive process. These enzymes give termites the ability to digest wood.

Some researchers are working to develop biological controls to kill the gut protists that termites use to ingest the cellulose in wood. They hope to exploit the termite’s weakness and turn it against its host.

One researcher at Louisiana State University is working on a genetically engineered bacterium that will kill the gut protists. This bacterium will not spread to the beneficial termite species.

Besides eating the cellulose in wood, termites will also eat other products that contain cellulose. They use the sugar in the cellulose for energy and nutrients.

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