You may have heard about every termite colony having a queen, but did you know that they must have a king as well? Yes, that’s true! Each termite colony is actually controlled by a queen and a king, and without a king, a termite colony will fall into disarray.
The King’s Function
Every termite queen needs to mate before she starts a colony, and to do that she selects a king from the swarm. They find a space for the colony to grow, and initially, he helps her start up the colony and take care of the termite larvae. Once the larvae have matured, they take over care of the colony. Thereafter, both the king and queen encase themselves inside a special part of the hive, called the “queen’s chamber,” and from there they rule.
Giving Orders
Both the king and the queen continue to release pheromones, which keep the termites from gaining sexual maturity, while keeping these immature termites essentially as slaves to the royal couple.
If you you would like to know more about termites, want more information about the king and the queen and their effect on the colony, or need to control them, please contact us at Allison Pest Control. We are Freehold exterminators serving Monmouth and Ocean County for nearly 100 years.