Termites are insects that belong to the order Blattodea. The word “termite” derives from the Latin “termes” (which means “woodworm” or “white ant”) and “terere” (which means “to rub”, “to wear”, “to erode”). Early on, they were known as “terminarium” or “termitaria”, while, in early English, they were simply referred to as “wood ants” or “white ants”.
Termites are insects that belong to the order Blattodea, the same as cockroaches, but pertain to the infraorder Isoptera. Termites are considered to be the most dangerous pests, because they can actually destroy the foundation of a house in only a few years.
Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite infestation. Subterranean termites build their colonies within soil beneath or around a structure, and emerge to feed on wood and other cellulose material. When it comes to gaining access to your house, keep in mind that termites are amazingly proficient.
Termites are eusocial insects that are of the infraorder Isoptera. Although these insects are often called white ants, they are not ants. Like ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among castes consisting of sterile male and female “workers” and “soldiers”. All colonies have fertile males called “kings” and one or more fertile females called “queens”. They mostly feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. They are spread all over the world, except for Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals, and their termite queens have the longest lifespan of any insect in the world, with some queens reportedly living up to 30 to 50 years.