Termites in our area are the eastern subterranean termite. As the name implies, they live under the soil. They eat wood, which is digested by bacteria in their gut. Termites usually travel from their nests in the ground, usually away from their food source. They prefer solid wood food and need moisture to stay healthy. They can cause a lot of damage to wooden structures but are beneficial in the environment by breaking down dead trees so that minerals are recycled. In nature, the wood they damage makes good food and dwelling for other creatures.

Termites are found everywhere where wood is found.

The main control of termites is prevention. This can be accomplished by chemical barriers or correctly installed and maintained baiting systems. Wood can also be treated before use to repel termites. None of these methods is 100% effective, but most intact structures can tolerate a small amount of termite damage.

Eastern Subterranean Termite

Eastern subterranean termites live in complex societies. To understand control of termites, it is useful to understand how they live.

Swarming: In spring, a mature colony produces many winged adult males and females ("alates" or "swarmers") that have eyes and wings. These all emerge at one time in a "swarm" that can have thousands of insects. The alates fly and mate, drop to the ground, and lose their wings. The females and their mates try to find a good nesting place in the ground and if successful, the female starts to lay eggs which both she (the queen) and her mate (the king) care for. Sometimes a queen has several mates.

However, most of the alates die because they can't find a good place to nest, they dry out, they get too hot or cold, or they are eaten by predators.

Presence of termite swarms in a house is a signal that there is a large nest nearby. The swarmers themselves do no structural damage, but their shed wings and bodies can be very messy. A vacuum cleaner with a bag is a useful tool for cleaning up. The structure should be professionally inspected for presence of the colony.

Colony growth: The eggs of successful females hatch and the small hatchlings are fed regurgitated food by the queen and king(s). After a few molts, most of the nymphs become tiny blind workers about 1/8 of an inch long. They are usually cream colored but the color can vary. They go out and find wood to eat. They digest the wood and bring it back to the nest where they feed it to new hatchlings. They also groom each other and pass food to each other. This habit is useful for pest control. A small number of hatchlings turn into "soldiers" that have large heads. They protect the colony against enemies such as termites from another nest or ants.

Secondary reproductives: When a colony is expanding, some of the female workers can get larger and lay normal eggs without flying or developing eyes. This can accelerate the growth of a colony, and there can be several nests in a single colony.

Moisture and food: Termites need moisture and food to survive. The food is wood. The termites will create galleries in the wood that they keep moist and at a good temperature. To get across woodless areas, termites create mud tubes that are sealed and kept moist. These are often seen in basements and are a sign that a house may be infested.

Control of termites: Our Termite Services page describes options for preventing and controlling termites.

A note about the Formosan Subterranean Termite and Hurricane Katrina: The Formosan Subterranean Termite, found in Louisiana and other southern states, is not native to New England and has not been found in New England as of 2005.

Formosan termites introduced from Asia are a big problem in the southern United States. there. However, the climate there is moist and warm and the Formosan termite seems to need those conditions to thrive. Formosan termites are similar to eastern subterranean termites in habits, but the colonies are larger and there is a higher percentage of soldiers. Treatment for Formosan termites is similar to that for our native eastern subterranean termites.

There is a concern that wood collected from damage from Hurricane Katrina might find its way to our area and bring Formosan termites to this area. It will take a while before we find out if this concern is justified. The control of these termites would be similar to that of our native species. It is probable that northern winters will be a big help in controlling this potential problem.

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