If you’ve ever had termites in your home or office, you know that they can be frustrating to eliminate. Termites colonies can contain anywhere from several hundred to several millions, all of which can eat 24 hours a day and feed mainly on wood, making them a prominent form of destruction.
At our Florence pest control company, termites are one of our specialties. We’ve learned a lot about these tiny insects in order to be able to control and remove them. For example: Did you know that…
1. Termites have been around for more than 50 million years.
2. Termite colonies consist of nymphs (semi-mature termites), soldiers, workers, and a king and queen in charge of reproduction. Soldiers and workers are usually blind, since they spend their lives in the dark.
3. Even though termites look like ants, they’re more related to cockroaches and are sometimes called “social cockroaches” because of their delegated life tasks.
4. In Africa savannas, termite mounds can reach heights of up to 30 feet.
5. Termites are a good source of protein and are considered a common food in Africa and parts of India and Indonesia.
6. A medium-sized colony (around three million) of Formosan termites can eat one foot of a 2×4 piece of wood in only two days. That adds up to over 182 feet of wood a year.
7. A queen termite can be up to 100x the size of a worker termite and can lay more than 30,000 eggs in a single day.
8. Termites can only digest cellulose with the help of microorganisms in their guts. They’re not born with these microorganisms, however, and in order to get them, they must eat another termite’s feces.
9. There are over 2,600 species of termites in the world.
10. Termite soldiers are in charge of protecting the colony, and if they sense danger, they’ll bang their bodies against the mound to cause vibrations and warn the others.
While termites can be fascinating, they can also be devastating, so if you see any signs of termites or believe that you have a termite infestation, don’t hesitate to call our Florence pest control service or any of our other South Carolina locations.
