TERMITE FACTS

"Austrapest has been established for over 20 years"

Also referred to as White Ants, termites are a beneficial insect in the bush as they help in the breakdown of organic matter. A few species however, attack timber in service (ie. our homes), causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. There are over 350 species in Australia with about 30 capable of causing damage to timber in service.

Although often called white ants, termites are not related to ants at all. They are a soft bodied, primitive insect belonging to the order Isoptera. They live in colonies with complex social orders, and different castes.


The colony is made up of the Queen, the King, soldiers, workers and reproductives. The king and queen are the original reproductives. Having established a colony after an initial colonising flight, they can live for many years. The workers maintain the colony. The worker termites are responsible for the damage we see in timbers in service. The soldiers’ role is defense, and most species are identified by the soldier. Soldiers and workers stay in the security and humidity of the nest and mud workings.


Winged Termite

Wings are equal or similar.
Antennae is beadlike.
No constriction between the thorax and abdomen.

 

Winged Ant

Wings are unequal in size and shape.
Antennae is elbowed.
Constriction between thorax and abdomen

Biology and Habitats

Winged reproductives (alates) can often be seen on their colonising flight in mid summer evenings when humidity is high, often before a storm. The trained eye can see them swarming from a "blow hole" in a tree trunk.

The nest site depends on the species, some eg. Nasutitermes walkeri, will nest in the tops of trees. Others eg. Coptotermes acinaciformis, the most destructive in New South Wales, can have 100s of thousands of individuals in a subterranean colony, in tree stumps and root systems, or in old building materials left under houses.
C/- Adam Legey @Austrapest

 

Food

Termites feed on the cellulose in wood. If wood has been broken down by fungal decay, it appears to be even more attractive to termites (the protein in the fungus is a second source of food).


Termites make mud tunnels and packing around their workings. They excavate the wood leaving a thin outside layer of wood or paint to maintain humidity inside.

They love damp, dark and undisturbed conditions. The subfloor areas of many Sydney homes provide the ideal environment - the house provides the food !

Subterranean pest species may travel in a radius of 50m or more from their colony to their food source.

Termites Species and Damage Inspection  Management
"Over 20 years of Excellence in Timber Pest Management"