Your home is like a castle but sadly not made out of stones. If you can see the current trends, homeowners prefer wood and wooden furniture. Wood can last for centuries but susceptible to damage from moisture and wood-destroying pests. We are talking about tiny wood destroyers that can feed on the wood for years.
Termites are the kind of creatures that can eat you out of your house. Termites can be mostly confused with ants. Luckily, sharp homeowners can spot few differences. Looking at the anatomical features helps us to catch early infestations.
Let us look at some of the anatomical features of termites:
Size:
The different species of termites have sizes between four and fifteen meters long. It can vary according to the various species of termites.
The largest termites are the queen termites, followed by workers and soldiers’ termites. Queen macro termes bellicosus termites are the largest termites in the world. It can reach up to 10 cm.
Color:
Termites can also vary in color depending upon different castes and species around the world. Worker termites are nearly translucent or white, whereas the soldier termites are light caramel brown, yellow, tan, or dark brown. These soldier termites typically have large heads that are much darker than their bodies.
Body:
Termites have three body segments attached like other insects. These are prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. Each pair of legs joined with each of the body segments makes a total pair of six. Unlike ants with pinched waists, termites have straight waists. This feature of termites distinguishes ants from termites.
Antennae:
The pair of antennae for both ants and termites looks like a “string of beads.” Termites have straight antennas, whereas ants have bent or elbowed antennas. The termites use antennas for sensing touch, heat, odors, and even vibrations.
Wings:
The alates are the reproductive termites. These termites are the only termites that can fly. During the year, they will swarm to find a mate. They can glide well enough, although they poorly fly. They will mate and twist off their wings after finding a place for a nest. You can have a sign of an infestation by having piles of termites’ wings near window ledges and porches. The termite wings are close to the same length. Reproductive ants have two pairs of wings, but the hind ones are smaller than the fore ones. You must call the nearest pest control provider to deal with the situation if you have found insect wings strewn.
Wrapping Up
The microscopic examination allows professional pest control experts to identify specific termite species. Homeowners should know the basics of termite anatomy. It is time to turn the problem to termite experts once you have found termites in your home. The experts will inspect your home and develop a custom plan to get rid of termite infestation.