Subterranean termites are specialized castes of social insects that reside in underground colonies and perform specific colony activities. Workers, soldiers, and reproductives are the three main classes in the termite colony (kings, queens, and secondaries).
Unless a termite tube or a piece of contaminated wood is ripped apart, the creamy-white workers are rarely visible. The kings and queens are dark-brown or black in color and range in length from 3/8 to 1/2 inch.
They have two pairs of equal-length transparent wings that fall off immediately after swarming. Soldiers are around the same size as adult workers, with elongated yellowish heads and powerful jaws.
Host plant:
Termites eat on fallen trees, stumps, grasses, shrubs, and other decaying plant matter.
Territory:
Eastern Subterranean Terminmite is found in the entire eastern region of North America.
Damages caused by Eastern Subterranean Terminmite:
Termites are difficult to identify since they seldom appear in the open, and infestations might go undetected until they cause significant damage. As termites hollow out the wood, leaving a paper-thin surface, the surface of badly damaged wood may seem blistered or peeling. Wood can be probed with a screwdriver or ice pick to find contaminated wood in addition to the presence of alates and shelter tubes.
Life history and habits:
Infested houses may see swarms of the reproductive caste in late winter or early spring. Because the other castes do not like to expose themselves to light, the black, winged termites are the most usually seen. Winged termites are drawn to light and swarm around doors and windows when they first enter a structure. The termites rip off their wings and search for a mate after crawling or fluttering around for a brief period. Each pair tries to find damp wood in touch with the soil to start a new colony, but only a few succeed. The winged forms cause little damage to the house, even though they can be a nuisance.
Article 2
Southeastern Subterranean Termite(Rhinotermitidaevirginicus)Common Name: Southeastern Subterranean Termite
Latin Name: Rhinotermitidae virginicus
Appearance:
The dark Southeastern subterranean termite is 13″ (one-third inch) long and dark-brown in color, giving it the appearance of an ordinary ant.
The worker caste of this species has a cream-colored body and is responsible for the colony’s maintenance.
The troops have larger mandibles and rectangular skulls, as predicted, and are in charge of defending and safeguarding the colony.
The productive termites, also known as termite swarmers, are in charge of extending the colony.
Host plants:
Termites eat cellulose, dead plant, and matter found in wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal excrement.
Territory:
The East is where they are most common. North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are just a few examples.
Damages caused by Southeastern Subterranean Termite:
Subterranean termite structural infections are frequently undetectable due to their cryptic nature. When yearly flights of winged termites (called alates) occur in structures, most people become aware of an infestation. Wood damage, mud tubes, and swarmer evidence are all symptoms of an infestation. Termite-damaged wood appears honeycombed, with hollow parts of the wood coated with mud and partially digested wood.
Life history and habits:
These termites grow underground and go unnoticed most of the time. In late winter or early spring, winged reproductives (alates) emerge above ground. When this occurs within a property, it may warn the homeowner that termites are present. The insects drop their wings after a brief flight, and a female will look for a fissure or other appropriate underground nesting place, where a male will join her. The female (queen) begins producing eggs after mating and excavating a chamber. The initial set of eggs hatches into larvae, which grow into workers who extend the nest, look for food, and return it to it. Some workers become warriors as the colony’s population grows; in well-established colonies, there may be hundreds of thousands of individual termites. After a colony has been formed for some years, alates are created. In big colonies, workers can grow into non-winged reproductives who lay eggs in addition to the queen’s efforts or who can take her place if she dies.
