An Overview of Termite Life Cycle and Lifespan

Subterranean termites are known for being highly destructive, but many people don’t realize that termites have a fascinating life cycle. In many ways, the structure and hierarchy of the colony resembles human social structures. For more information about the cycle, read on.

King and Queen
Termites start with a king and queen termite, usually from different colonies. The two mate, and then find a location to start a nest and shed their wings. The king and queen will never fly again. Instead, they wait for the newly-fertilized queen to lay her first clutch of eggs. The eggs hatch into white larvae in a matter of weeks. As they mature, the larvae are inducted into one of three ranks of the colony, which closely resemble castes, or social classes.

Worker Termites
The lowest rank in the termite colony is the worker. Workers are young and not yet capable of reproducing. Because of this, they are assigned to dig tunnels and chambers, expanding the nest. They also may assist the upper classes with feeding and hygienic practices. They live about one to two years.

Soldier Termites
Over time, some termites grow large mandibles, which resemble sharp brown pincers. It is at this point that they become soldier termites, tasked with defending the colony. Their mandibles are lethal in combat against certain predators, but are too bulky for them to feed themselves. Because of this, worker termites must physically place food in the soldiers’ mouths for them. The soldiers can live up to two years.

Alates
As soon as termites reach sexual maturity, they turn black and grow wings. These are called alates, and are tasked with starting their own colonies as king or queen and continuing the cycle elsewhere. They are the longest-living termites, with a lifespan of up to 50 years.

Never forget that queen termites can lay over 1000 eggs per day, and this can spell serious trouble for your home if they decide to start a colony there. Burns Termite Control of Phoenix specializes in rapid, effective pest control to knock out the queen and her colony before they can inflict serious damage.

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Flying Ants Vs Termites: The difference between flying ants and termites

In the United States, termites cause a lot of damage to houses, destroying the wood used in their construction. Many times, the flying ants are mistaken for termites because of their similar appearance. It 'important to understand the differences between these creatures, in order to take preventive measures to control them.

Flying ants

Flying ants are not a species or type of ants, but those males and females that did not breed and may be about to do so. The Division of the body into several parts like the head, thorax and abdomen does fly the ants easier identification, and therefore differs from termites. Before making an attempt to eliminate them, it is important to know what attracts flying ants. Sugar and fatty foods are the best baits to attract them. The first step in the process of flying Ant eradication is to locate their nest. Flying ants indoors are mostly found in walls where they build their nests. If the House is infested with flying ants in the winter, the possibility to have their nest in the walls is high.

Termites

The termites are insects eusociale falling within the Isoptera order. These insects are detritivorous (feeding on dead materials), most are in tropical and subtropical regions. It is necessary to understand the difference between flying ants, termites and insects alike, in order to adopt the appropriate measures for their control. Many times it happens that the flying ant problem is mistaken for termites, which adds the concern of homeowners.

Difference between flying ants and termites

Although flying ants and termites are similar in appearance, there are some differences in their physical appearance, which allow us to identify flying ants and differentiate them from termites. The difference between a flying Ant and a termite could be spotted easily if careful observation is made. ; The termites body is divided into two parts, namely the head and body. Ants on the other hand have three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.

The life of ants region seems to be a little pinched in shape, while the termite is not; The antennae of termites are straight, while the ants are bent into shape. , Legs of ants are present in the thoracic region, just behind the head. 
Termites, on the other hand have the legs for the entire length of the body. ; The antennae of termites are a form of beads, while those of ants are in a continuous line. ; The length of the wings of flying ants are different in size from that of termites. 
Both termites AND flying ants have four wings, however, the front fenders of the ants are larger wings Hinds. In the case of termites, all four wings have the same length. ; Another noteworthy difference between termites and ants is that the former has wings that are grey-white, while the ants have transparent wings with veins that could be seen easily. ; The veins on the wings are easily seen when flying ants. Due to the current gray tint on the wings, wing veins of termites are not easily visible. ; The development phase that passes through a termite, is known as the gradual metamorphosis. Flying ants undergo complete metamorphosis. The different phases of the life cycle of a termite are the egg, nymph and adult. However, flying Ant passes in larval stage, after eggs and then into the pupal stage. The adult stage is reached after the pupa and then the complete metamorphosis of fly front ends.

The eating habits of these flying ants and termites are also black. The mainly termites eat wood, while flying ants eat a variety of things, including vegetables, meat, etc. the bacteria found in the stomach of termites help breaking the cellulose.

The above description about flying ants vs termites presents before us the various aspects of their structure, behavior and eating habits. Studying the difference between flying ants and termites help us to understand the various causes of flying ants and termites infestation.