Termites


While commonly known as 'white ants', termites are in fact completely unrelated to true ants, differing in both physical structure and biology. Termites are the single most destructive insect pest in Victoria - recent research by the CSIRO finding that 61 percent of Victorian municipalities are affected, with up to $200 million in damage caused annually in Victoria alone. The CSIRO has estimated that up to 650,000 homes have been infested nation-wide. There are well over 300 species of termites in Australia, of which perhaps 30 are considered a significant threat to buildings. Research has shown that in Victoria these pests are most prevalent in a band of territory on either side of the Yarra River, but in fact no locality is free of termites. Normal building insurance does not cover damage caused by termites. To quote CSIRO scientist Jim Creffield, "It is far more economical to have a termite management system or barriers installed, than to incur damage and consequent restoration costs".
Termite society
Termites may be considered a pest from a human point of view, but their behaviour and biology is among the most sophisticated and fascinating in the insect world. Like ants, bees and wasps, they are 'social' insects, living in colonies with thousands of individuals of various 'castes' each with a specific function. Most termites are blind and prefer to live in the dark.
Queen	King
The Queen termite is the only individual able to lay eggs - her sole function. She is capable of nothing else since her huge abdomen, bloated with eggs, prevents her from moving. She may produce 2000 eggs or more per day. Living in a chamber deep inside the nest, she is fed and groomed by worker termites who also take care of her eggs, carrying them away for hatching. The Queen may live up to 30 years.	Tiny creatures in relation to the Queen, King termites live only to mate with her, and while he is quite long-lived when compared to 'ordinary' members of the colony, their lifespan is usually much shorter than that of the queen. They also assist in grooming and feeding her, and will continue to mate throughout their life, ensuring that a steady supply of new colony members is maintained.
Worker	Soldier
The Worker termites comprise the majority of the population of a nest, and are the ones who do the colony's 'dirty work', building and repairing the nest, grooming other termites and foraging for food. They are the ones responisble for structural damage to timber. Once a worker has eaten its fill of wood, special bacteria within its gut help it break down the normally indigestible material into a 'soup' which it takes to the nest and shares with others.	The fearsome Soldier termites guard the nest from predators. They are usually distinguished by their hugely enlarged heads accommodating massive jaws, their main weapon. Some termite species have also evolved formidable chemical weapons. Nasute (latin for ' nosey ') soldier termites repel their enemies by squirting then with a poisonous or sticky substances through a prominent nozzle-like protrusion in their heads.
Nymph	Alates
When termite eggs hatch, the young insects or Nymphs are capable of developing into whatever caste is most urgently required by the colony - normally workers or soldiers, or even additional Queen or King termites if more eggs are needed. When conditions are suitable, however, they may develop into a specialised winged caste known as Alates in preparation for establishing a new colony.	Alates are the future Kings and Queens of a termite colony. When seasonal, food and weather conditions are just right, winged Alates will swarm from the nest in search of new territory. They are rather poor flyers and depend largely on the wind to carry them along. When a likely nesting location is found, they soon drop their wings, mate and breed new generations of workers and soldiers, starting the cycle again.

Termite architecture
Australian termite mound	Although their behaviour is strictly instinctive, termites are capable of amazing feats of natural engineering, as witnessed by the famous termite mounds of Northern and Central Australia. These above--ground towers come complete with ventilation galleries and damp chambers for humidity control and are sometimes aligned on a North-South axis to control heating by the sun - techniques only re-discovered by humans in relatively recent times.
Termite damage to wood	Because termites are thin-skinned insects and very prone to moisture loss, and attacks by predators, they are seldom seen in the open except in very humid conditions, preferring to move about via galleries tunnelled into soft earth or wood. In the case of subterranean termites, these often extend as much 100 meters from the nest and up to 7 meters underground. Subterranean termites are the major threat to buildings in Australia. Older homes with weatherboard under aluminium siding can be particularly vulnerable, especially in damp conditions where the wood may already have begun to rot.
Simulation of termite tubes	When they must reach a food source above the surface, subterranean termites prefer to build tubes extending to their target. They are attracted to dark , warmth and humid places. Constructed of a mixture of mud and saliva, these give them protection from predators and the effects of the environment. Termite tubes are often seen leading to gaps between building foundations and brickwork, or cracks in the mortar. Termite tubes are one of the more obvious signs of infestation, but are often hidden from view by a building's structure.