The eastern subterranean termite is thought to be the world’s best timber recycler. In being such, eastern subterranean termites are also known for the extreme damage that they can cause to your New Jersey home or business. It is estimated that at least one in every five homes in New Jersey has been, or will be, attacked by eastern subterranean termites at some point in time. Each year, these wood damaging pests cause millions of dollars worth of damage; which is never covered by insurance policies.
Within a eastern subterranean termite colony, you will find a queen termite, a king termite, soldiers, workers, and swarmers (reproductives) termites. The king termite lives with the queen and is tended to by the workers of the colony. The queen is a termite egg laying machine. She is much larger than any other termites in the colony. She can live up to 25 years and can produce more than 2,000 eggs per day!
The worker termites are the ones that are in most abundance within the colony. They are also the ones that cause the most destruction. They construct tunnels, gather food, tend to the king and queen, and groom the soldiers as well as each other. They are also the caretakers of the young nymph termites until they mature. Worker termites are soft bodied, do not have wings, and are blind. These termites spend their entire two year lifetime working for the colony…24 hours a day!
Like any good warrior, the soldier termite will defend the colony to its death. If a nest is disturbed, the soldiers are the first insect that you will see rush out of the opening. Soldier termites look different than the other termites as they have a rectangular shaped head with large pinchers that they use to crush their enemies…usually ants. When fighting, these termites emit a sticky latex substance that will quickly entrap their enemy.
Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion.