Subterranean Termites

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are social insects that live in nests or colonies in the soil, hence their name “subterranean.” These colonies contain three forms or castes: reproductives, workers and soldiers.   Reproductive males and females can be winged or wingless. The bodies of primary reproductives, also called swarmers, vary by species from coal black to pale yellow-brown. Wings may be pale or smoky gray to brown and have few distinct veins. Swarmer termites are about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Termite workers make up the largest number of individuals within a colony. Workers are wingless, white to creamy white, and 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. They do all of the work of the colony — feeding the other castes, grooming the queen, excavating the nest and making tunnels. In working, they chew and eat wood, causing the destruction that makes termites economically important. Soldiers resemble workers in color and general appearance, except that soldiers have large, well-developed brownish heads with strong mandibles or jaws. Soldiers defend the colony against invaders, primarily ants.

Subterranean termites invade homes from the soil around and beneath the structure. Infestations occur when subterranean termite workers locate structural wood in contact with soil or when termites build shelter tubes from the soil across foundation walls and into structural wood. Subterranean termites may also gain access through cracks in the slab or seams where plumbing and electrical lines penetrate the concrete. Foundations made of hollow blocks, or of masonry and rock provide several avenues for termites to gain undetected access to wooden parts of the structure. Once inside, subterranean termite colonies maintain access to the soil around or under a home. The soil provides them with the necessary moisture to remain healthy.Subterranean termites do not cause significant damage over a period of days or weeks. It typically takes several months or years of feeding for termite damage to be significant. Termites prefer to feed on the soft grain of the wood. In severely infested wood, only the hard grain and a thin outer shell remain. Termites intentionally remain hidden within infested wood, preferring not to be exposed to the outside environment. This makes it difficult to locate infested wood in a structure. An infested timber can look perfectly normal on the outside, even when riddled with termite galleries on the inside.