People who own homes, building, or grow crops often ask themselves the question What does a termite look like? The reason is simple know what a termite looks like can alert the homeowner or farmer to possible property damage that is caused by these tiny little pests. Most people say that a termite looks like a little white ant, but the reality is that because there is a hierarchy within these very social insects, depending on what job the termite does within the colony.
So what does a termite look like? The worker termites most closely resemble small white ants. They are responsible for foraging for food that will sustain the colony. They are white and soft bodied and smaller in size just like an ant. Soldier termites are responsible for defending the colony against predators, so they will look a lot like the worker termites except they have a larger head with mandibles that are used for defense.
Reproductive termites are winged insects that are larger than the workers and soldiers and tend to swarm during certain times of the year. They are also white and soft bodied, but they are easily identified by the presence of wings on their bodies. These termites are responsible for laying eggs and insuring the continuation of the colony. They can lay thousands of eggs at a time so termite colonies can grow quite quickly and take over a small space within a matter of days.
When asking what does a termite look like, you need to also know how to identify the king and queen of the colony. They are the ones who rule the colony and are responsible for insuring all members are doing their jobs and taking care of the colony itself. The queen termite is the largest termite in the colony. She has an elongated body that is usually lighter in color. The king termite is smaller than the queen and his elongated body is darker in color.
Termite colonies live in large mounds some as tall as four feet! That is where they live. The worker termites go out and find food usually in the form of damp wood, leaf debris, and loose cellulite matter. The workers then bring food back to the termite mound where members feed on the matter.
Asking yourself What does a termite look like? is a responsible thing to do when you own property. Identification of termites and termite damage is so important because once you find them, you can begin treating the damaged areas. The sooner you find the damage, the easier it is to control. Plus, now when someone asks you What does a termite look like? now you can speak with authority!
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