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RESOURCES: TERMITES Eastern Subterranean Termites  This is the most common and widely distributed termite in North America. It occurs south of the line where the average annual minimum temperature is -22oF. This includes southern Ontario, Canada, and southward through the eastern United States and into Texas. 
The swarmer termite (pictured, left) is about 3/8" long, including wings, with a dark brown to almost black body. The soldier termite (pictured, right) has a rectangular head. Subterranean termites eat mostly the softer part of the wood and leave the lignin-containing harder wood which they cannot effectively digest, thus causing damaged wood to appear to be layered. Soil may also be found in the galleries. A typical mature colony may consist of 60,000 to over a million workers. 60,000 workers can eat 1/5 ounce of wood each day. 
Eastern subterranean termites have three castes: worker, soldier, and reproductive. When the queen is mature, she will produce about 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year, and may live for many years. Swarming typically occurs during the spring, but may possibly be followed by one or more smaller swarms until winter. Swarming occurs during the daytime, typically during the morning of the day following a warm rain. Because termites need moisture and have a low tolerance to moving air currents and light, they live underground, attacking a home from below. A loose mortar joint, a minute space around a drain pipe, or a settlement crack in the basement is all they need to gain entry. By building mud tubes, termites can cross concrete, brick, cinder block, metal termite shields, pre-treated wood, and non-repellent chemical barriers. Termites eat wood from the inside out, making their activity detectable only by professional termite inspection. The longer you delay treatment, the more damage termites can do. Even if you have not seen evidence of termite activity or damage, it is important to have your home professionally inspected annually. Termites | Fleas | Ticks | Yellowjackets, Wasps | Rodents Return to Bug Library We
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