What is the Lifespan of Termites?
WouterTermites are wood-eating insects found throughout the world. They are closely related to cockroaches. They are the leading threat to wooden structures, including buildings and homes. They can cause serious damage to your property if not detected and treated early. Termite colonies can expand to hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Termite colonies have a queen at the top. Her life span is 25 years. She produces millions of eggs over her lifetime. These eggs must be protected by the colony. She lays them in a jelly-like liquid, which holds them together. This process takes several weeks. As the eggs approach hatching, they will begin to change color. They will become larger as they near maturity.
When a colony reaches a peak in population, the queen will produce swarmers. These termite workers will mate with each other and form a new colony. These termites will then molt into soldiers. These soldiers will then defend the colony against enemies.
The lifespan of termites varies between species. In the eastern subterranean species, a queen can live up to 30 years. The drywood termite queens usually live up to 10 to 12 years. However, some species can live for up to 20 to 25 years.
The termite life cycle starts with an egg. This egg is laid by the female termite. It is then incubated for a few weeks. Once it hatches, the nymph will go through multiple molting stages until it becomes an adult. It will then develop wings and a dark exoskeleton.
