• Termites are highly social insects, creating colonies that number into the hundreds of thousands underground, with vast networks of tubes above ground which they use for access to food. They feed primarily on wood, wood by-products, and other cellulose materials. They are closely associated with the soil they inhabit. They need moisture to survive so they can be very problematic to humans in damp or wooded regions.


• In wooded areas with dead and decaying trees on the ground, they can be beneficial as they help speed up decomposition. This same pattern can become structurally dangerous when they invade an unprotected home. They tunnel inside of wood, always avoiding the creation of exposed entrances or exits above ground in order to prevent loss of moisture. To reach feeding sites, underground tunnels can reach tens-to-hundreds of feet long. By the time structural damage becomes visibly evident, an infestation may have already existed for several years, and the unseen damage may be very extensive.


• Wood with termite damage will sound hollow when tapped, and mud tubes approx. 1/4"-to-1" wide may be seem extending from the ground up to wood or siding near the foundation, on wooden beams, and in crawl spaces. Termites cause more than $2-billion in damages each year. Subterranean termites cause 95% of all termite damage in North America. In the early stages of a colony, shed wings from swarmers may be the only evidence of their presence. Any evidence of termite activity and/or damage should be investigated immediately, because eradication of a long established colony can be costly, time-consuming, and require major structural repairs, as well as require repeat treatments and constant vigilance to prevent re-infestation.


• A termite colony has one queen which can lay tens of thousands of eggs during her lifetime, but the majority of eggs are laid by supplementary reproductive inside an established colony. A long established colony can have as many as 1 million termites.


• Termite kings and queens are about 3/8"-to-1/2" in length, with two pairs of equal length wings that break off shortly after swarming.
  
  In addition to a king and queen, termite colony have three major castes:
  
  • Workers are about 1/8"-to-3/8" in length, soft-bodied, wingless, blind, creamy-white colored and have a round head. Workers comprise the largest percentage of a colony, and are the caste that eats wood. They forage for food and water, construct and repair the mud tubes and tunnels to prevent exposure to open air, groom and care for other termites, and perform some colony defense.
  
  
  • Soldier termites are also wingless, and have a similar appearance to workers, but with a large rectangular brown head with large jaws. Their primary task is colony defense.
  
  
  • Both male and female reproductive termites can be winged or wingless, and are called alates or swarmers. Those with wings shed their wings shortly after flight. Alates of the eastern subterranean termite (the most common termite in Ohio) are black and about 3/8" in length, with much longer pale or grayish wings. Wingless reproductives may serve as replacements if something happens to the king or queen. Reproductive females may have a swollen abdomen due to developing eggs. Winged termites can be differentiated from winged ants because the termites have straight antennae and their two sets of wings are equal in length.


• Swarming time is highly dependent on weather patterns. It will normally begin on warm days after a rainfall. In Ohio, swarming usually takes place in March, April and May. Indoor swarming can take place during other months. Swarming is very brief, usually lasting less than one hour. Alates shed their wings quickly afterward. Winged termites, like many other insects, are very attracted to light sources such as outdoor lights, but also dimmer light sources such as indoor lighting. During a swarm, it is important to keep indoor lights off if there are any gaps around windows or doors. If winged termites or shed wings are found indoors, that should be considered a sign of indoor infestation and steps to eradicate them should be taken immediately.


• Although termite infestations are usually well established by the time one might notice signs such as outdoor mud tubes, damage to siding, or hollow sounding wood, they tunnel very slowly, so there is time to consult with a professional to properly assess what forms of treatment and prevention are going to be most appropriate for locations and type of structures. Treatment of current infestations, structural repairs, and steps to prevent future infestations should be addressed in planned stages. Because termites avoid exposure to open air to protect their soft bodies, very little can be done to eliminate an established infestation without the assistance of a professional pest control expert.

[photo: USDA - public domain]