Drywood termites form colonies of up to 2,500 members. Drywood Termite colonies don’t have workers. Younger termites, called "false workers", do all the work for the colony. Common Name: Drywood Termite, Size: 3/8" to 1", Shape: Long, narrow, oval, Color: Light brown, Legs: 6, Wings: Yes, Antenna: Yes, Class: Insecta, Order: Isoptera, Species: Varies, Family: Kalotermitidae

Lifecycle

• The winged adults (alates) emerge from the nest and swarm. After a short flight, they land and shed their wings.
• Once the females attract a male they seek a suitable site, e.g. a crack in a dry timber beam, and begin to excavate a chamber.
• They do not mate until they are sealed into their nest. Mating occurs throughout the life of the colony.
• The development of the colony is slow and after 1 year, the King and Queen may only have produced 3 or 4 larvae.
• The larvae develop into workers, soldiers or alates.

DIET Drywood Termites eat wood, wallpaper, plastics and fabric made from plants.

HABITAT

Drywood Termite colonies are usually found in dry wood and they do not require moisture or contact with the soil. Habits

• They infest dry timber, e.g. structural timbers
• They expand their nests by eating through timber in all directions; eventually leaving just a hollow, yet otherwise normal appearing piece of timber.
• They are most frequently detected by the frass that is ejected from the infected timber.

IMPACT

Drywood termites can build nests and dig tunnels in buildings. These tunnels cause major damage because the wooden support beams can become weak and make the building lean or fall down.

PREVENTION

• Make sure firewood and scrap wood is stored away from your house.
• Seal all cracks and crevices around the outside of your home.

Dampwood termites are normally larger in size than other termite species. Like Drywood Termites, Dampwood colonies don’t have workers. Younger termites called "false workers" do all the work for the colony.

Common Name: Dampwood Termite, Size: 1/2" to 5/8", Shape: Long, narrow, oval, Color: Brownish, Legs: 6, Wings: Yes, Antenna: Yes, Class: Insecta, Order: Isoptera, Species: Varies, Family: Hodotermitide

• Primary Queens can lay several thousand eggs a day.
• A colony has a King and Queen - the only termites to mate, although it is not uncommon for a colony to have an additional breeding pair.

DIET

Dampwood termites like to live and feed in very moist wood.

HABITAT

Because they need lots of moisture, Dampwood Termites usually live in damp, dying wood or in houses with leaking plumbing that keeps the wood wet.

• Colonies can contain up to several million termites
• A self-organised swarm which prefer damp conditions.
• This group of termites feed on decayed wood such as old tree stumps, rotting logs and pieces of buried timber. Once established, they can move into sound wood structures in buildings.

IMPACT

Dampwood termites do not carry disease and don’t usually bother buildings because there is not enough water in the wood.

PREVENTION

• To avoid Dampwood termites, make sure water drains away from your house and keep damp wood away from your home.

Subterranean Termite colonies can have up to 2 million members! Their colonies are divided into three groups: workers, soldiers and reproductives.

Common Name: Subterranean Termite, Size: 1/8" to 1", Shape: Long, narrow, oval, Color: Creamy brown, Legs: 6, Wings: Yes, Antenna: Yes, Class: Insecta, Order: Isoptera, Species: Varies, Family: Rhinotermitidae

• Queens can lay several thousands of eggs in one day.
• The king remains only slightly bigger than an average termite and continues to mate with the queen for life.
• Males in ant colonies die immediately after mating, unlike termite male alates, which become kings and live with the queen.

DIET

Termites eat wood, wallpaper, plastics and fabric made from plants.

HABITAT

Subterranean termites need contact with the soil to survive. They live in underground colonies or in wet areas aboveground. They build tunnels to reach food and every spring, groups of reproductive termites fly off to start new colonies.

Habits • Nests are built in the soil and these termites are very dependent on soil for moisture. • In their search for food, subterranean termites construct mud tubes because they are susceptible to desiccation when exposed to air. • Subterranean termites usually work their way above ground to reach wood or any other cellulose source. The cellulose is then broken down into simple starch with the help of protozoans in the termites’ gut.

IMPACT

Subterranean termites are the most destructive kind of termite. They can eat a lot of wood and they can cause a lot of expensive damage to a house! They can destroy building foundations, wooden support beams, plastic plumbing pipes, sub-flooring, insulation … even swimming pool liners and filtration systems! Termites can also injure or destroy living trees and shrubs.

PREVENTION

• Don’t let water pool around your home's foundation. Termites like that!
• Never leave wood scraps in the yard for them to snack on.