Termites have been around for millions of years, long before there were houses to destroy. Believe it or not, when termites aren’t infesting homes, they serve a greater purpose on the Earth.
So while your home may be a welcome haven for an unwelcome guest, the natural ecosystem benefits from them because of their unique ability to breakdown dead and dying trees, speeding up the natural decaying process of wood and contributing to the health of the forest.
Here are some other interesting facts about termites.
– In a lot of ways, their social behavior and colony-structure rivals that of ants (but in a lot of ways, it doesn’t). Scientists study termites regularly in order to learn more about their natural behavior compared to other colony-dwelling insects.
– Many Southeast Asian countries eat insects like a desert. They are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world and, pound-for-pound, contain more protein than steak.
– In parts of Africa, where wooden houses are mostly scarce, termites build massive dirt mounds and serve and entirely different purpose altogether. Known as mound-building termites, the African species feeds exclusively on vegetation and fungi.
– Male termites aid the queen in “raising” their young. In a termite colony, there is a king and a queen, unlike a bee colony which has one queen and many drones. Shortly after the eggs are laid, the king stays for his entire life cycle and fertilizes his queen’s eggs. He also helps the queen by feeding the young as needed.
– All of the lower caste members of the colony (workers and drones) are entirely blind. Since their entire life cycle is spent in the dark, they have never developed a means of seeing because it’s unnecessary to their purpose in the colony.
– Like many other insects, termites spend a great deal of time cleaning each other in their colony. Because of how important it is to keep parasites out of the nest, the fastidious termite has made personal and communal hygiene a priority.
If your home needs a termite inspection, we’re here to help. Please feel free to contact us to talk about a free consultation for your Oakland, California home.