Bird Pest Control
Types of Termites in South Africa
Termites are widely recognized as the most destructive insect pests globally, causing substantial financial losses through the damage they inflict on numerous buildings and structures every year.
In South Africa, there exist several distinct species of termites, yet only a select few pose significant problems to properties:
- Neotermes spp (Dampwood Termites)
- Coptotermes spp (Subterranean Termites)
- Cryptotermes spp. (native) (Drywood Termites)
Of the above, it is the Coptotermes and Cryptotermes species that are the termites that cause the most damage.
Termite Queen and King
Giving life to the colony
In the termite colony, the primary role of the Queen and King is reproduction. Originating as Alates, they venture away from their parental colony, descend to the ground, and discard their wings in their quest to locate a suitable nesting site. They diligently nurture their offspring until the young termites mature enough to assume the responsibilities within the colony.
Termite Workers
The 'doers'
The workers make up the largest number within a colony. They do all of the work (except defend and reproduce): feeding, grooming, excavating the nest and making tunnels. In doing their jobs, they cause the destruction that affects so many homes.
Termite Soldiers
The colony's defence
Soldiers defend the colony against attack by predatory enemies such as ants, and are equipped with large jaws, sticky fluids or chemical spray to do so.
Alates
The future Queens and Kings
Alates represent the winged reproductive members of the termite colony, embarking on swarms to initiate new colonies. Males and females form pairs and search for an appropriate setting in which to mate. Interestingly, their appearance can sometimes lead to confusion with moths!
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How To Protect your House from Termites
The termite nest
A termite colony consists of at least one queen, a king, soldiers, workers and alates.
Termite queen & king
To start a colony, two flying termites – a queen and king – pair up and find a suitable site to start a new colony. They care for their young themselves until they have produced enough workers to take over the nursery duties. Other workers take care of foraging activities. As the colony increases in size, the queen becomes an enlarged egg laying machine, barely able to move on her own.
Termite workers
The workers make up the largest caste (group of termites) within a colony. They do all of the work, apart from reproduce and defend the colony. They forage for food, feed and groom others, excavate the nest and make leads/tunnels. In foraging for food – they only eat cellulose material (wood, paper and cardboard) – it is the workers that cause the destruction to your property.
Termite soldiers
Soldiers defend the colony against attack by their enemies, such as ants. The different species have developed soldiers with different shaped heads and different defence mechanisms – some have large jaws, others produce sticky fluids or spray chemicals – and is one of the key ways to tell species apart.
Flying termites
Flying termites or alates are the winged reproductives that swarm out from the nest to establish new colonies. Male and females pair off and look for a suitable environment to mate and set up a new nest. These termite swarming events happen on humid nights in spring and summer.