The Life Cycle of a Termite is quite a fascinating thing! It all starts with a spring swarm!
A colony is made up of workers, soldiers and swarmers. Workers maintain the colony, construct or repair the nest, and forage for food for the colony. Soldiers are sterile, and their main role is to protect the colony. Swarmers, are fertile winged termites that go out to start their own colony. In the springtime, after the last freeze, the young adult male and female swarmers emerge from their nests in large groups. The female termites release ‘mating pheromones,’ much like perfume, to entice male termites. Once the male locates an alluring female, they break off their wings, symbolizing that they are a couple. The new couple then select a nest location, mate, and become king and queen of a new colony.
- Eggs. They hatch into pale white larvae then molt to develop into workers, soldiers, and primary or secondary Swarmers.
- Nymphs. A nymph is a young termite that is going through molts, a process of shedding its exoskeleton.
- Larvae. Over the course of several molts, these larvae grow to assume a role in one of the three termite colony castes: workers, soldiers, and Swarmers.
- Castes. Each caste has a distinctly different physical appearance. Workers are responsible for constructing tunnels and chambers as well as feeding and grooming other termite castes. Soldiers are yellow-brown in color, with dramatically enlarged heads and often large mandibles. These are useful in combat, but render warriors incapable of feeding themselves. The reproductive Swarmers are darker in color and are born with two pairs of wings.
Let Us End the Life Cycle and Live Termite Free!
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