Pests of the Month...Subterranean Termites and Ants

Swarmers - Workers - Mud Tube

Swarmers - Most homeowners will rarely see termites. These are secretive, cryptic insects that hide deep in wood or soil. However, during the spring and into the fall (depending of the species), termite colonies produce swarmers. These swarmers are new kings and queens. Their job is to start new colonies.

Workers - Workers represent the majority of the colony population and are responsible for caring for eggs, constructing and maintaining tunnels, foraging for food and feeding and grooming of other caste members. They are white and soft bodied.
Worker termites are usually seen when a piece of infested wood is broken, exposing the termites. When exposed to light, you will notice that the insects quickly run for cover. They instinctively know that heat and sunlight are enemies.

Mud Tubes - termites build mud shelter tubes in which they travel. These mud shelter tubes are connected with the termite colony and are constructed of dirt and an acid substance that the worker termites secrete. The mud shelter tube helps to protect the worker termites from predators such as ants, and also provides them with humidity. Most importantly, mud shelter tubes give the blind worker and soldier termites a highway in which to travel to and from their food sources. Mud shelter tubes are very hard packed, and usually as they get older, they get harder and larger. Some mud shelter tubes are as small as a pen others can be several inches wide. Mud shelter tubes are usually seen on the outer sides of foundation walls as seen in the photo above. They can also be seen emerging from sheetrock in ceilings, and on sheetrock walls.

Ants - are found all over the world, from the hottest deserts to the lush green rainforests. We can find them in our backyards, in our homes, and even in our workplaces. Ants live in colonies and a single colony may have over a million ants. There are several different types of ants. Some of the better-known varieties are the army ants, sugar ants, pissants, fire ants. All ant colonies are comprised of three types of ants, namely the worker ants, the soldier ants, and the single queen ant. Behavior of ants may vary according to their type. The size of ants range from two to 25 millimeters and their color may vary from red to brown or black.