Termites are small, white, soft bodied insects that live in colonies which can contain over one million individuals. These colonies are well organized, with a king and queen, workers, soldiers, and swarmers. The workers do all of the damage, the soldiers defend the colony, and the swarmers are winged termites that fly off to start their own colonies. Termites will feed on anything containing cellulose; books, boxes, picture frames, carpet backing, drywall, and structural timbers. No type of home is safe from termites; they need only a crack the thickness of a sheet of paper to gain access. A termite’s sole function on earth is to recycle cellulose, and to these blind insects, a house is nothing but dead wood.
The most common type of termite is subterranean, which means the insects live
underground. They obtain moisture from the soil and use soil for tubes through which they travel in search of food. The most destructive termite is the Formosan.....
Click here to read on about termites and how to help prevent them eating your home.