Termites are surely one of the most unfavorable pests in Malaysia. They live in colonies, and they can quickly cause extensive damage to homes and businesses. According to our experts in termite control, termites have a complex social organization that is divided into three different castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives.
The queen termite lays eggs for future generations of termites that will work on expanding the colony’s territory or building new nests. This blog post will discuss how these insects communicate with each other and what you should know about their behavior!
How Do Termites Communicate?
Termites, just like other insects, have a way to communicate. Since they’re living in a colony, each termite will need to communicate with its colony mates in order for them all to survive. Termites are able to communicate through pheromones, which is a chemical substance that triggers an instinctive behavior within the termite’s colony members.
For example, when there’s danger like flooding or fire around their environment, one of the termites’ workers will emit pheromones near other worker and soldier termites; they’ll then follow this scent trail towards safety as it leads away from any immediate threat.
When mating, termites also release pheromones which help them signal to one another they’re interested. Termite workers will also emit pheromones when they’re building a tunnel or nest; this helps other termites within the same colony understand what their fellow castes are doing and what they should do in return.
How Do Termites Feed?
Termites are known for their voracious appetite, and they can eat through various materials such as hardwood, tree trunks, logs, and even shrubs! A termite’s mouth is called a ‘mandible,’ and these insects will scrape off the surface of whatever they’re eating with their mandibles.
Termites can’t digest cellulose, so it passes through its system until it reaches the hindgut, where friendly bacteria break down the food into nutrients that are then absorbed by the termite’s body.
However, scientists have found out that termites may feed off their own bodies when food is scarce. When one termite worker gets sick or sustains an injury, it will be eaten by its other colony members so they can benefit from the nitrogen in their bodies.
What Do Termites Need to Survive?
As mentioned above, termites need cellulose. Cellulose is a carbohydrate that is found in items such as paper, cardboard, and wood. Regardless of the material, as long as it has cellulose, you can expect termites to be attracted towards it.
Termite colonies will need a source of water as well, and they’ll make sure their entire colony has constant access to this resource by building tunnels that go from the ground up until there’s a patch of soil within the wall or ceiling where termites can safely build nests without being detected through visual inspection.
Termites cannot retain water, so they constantly need to drink. If you’ve got leaky pipes, pet water bowls, puddles, or even a broken gutter, termites might be drinking from them without you noticing.
Subterranean Termites vs Drywood Termites
While both species of termite can cause significant damage to homes or businesses, these insects differ in their behaviors and the materials they eat! While subterranean termites will build nests within the soil beneath structures such as houses, drywood termites prefer building nests in drywood such as furniture or home foundations.
These two types also have different diets: while subterranean termites won’t shy away from eating paper-based items around your homes like books or cardboard boxes, drywod termites won’t eat anything but wood.
Where Do Termites Live?
In Malaysia, there are 3 common types of termites. Dampwood termites, drywood termites and subterranean termites.
Subterranean termites are considered to be the most destructive and dangerous type of termite in Malaysia as they live underground, and they tend to eat away at building foundations, home wood structures such as doors or window frames. This particular type also causes serious damage to wooden furniture within homes, so it’s important that you do a regular inspection if this has been found near your house.
Drywood termites are another species that can cause major problems if not handled properly due to their destructive nature – drywood termites will bore into hardwoods like mahogany or teak! However, these types of insects prefer dining on old logs rather than living trees, so there shouldn’t much risk associated with them unless they start infesting old logs around your home or business.
Dampwood termites are the least common type of termite in Malaysia due to their preference for moist wood, but if they do decide to build nests within structures such as homes, it’s likely that you’ll experience serious structural problems due to them eating away at wooden beams and supports.
In a Nutshell
Termites are social insects that live in colonies. They communicate with each other through body language, sound and chemical signaling. Understanding the termite’s communication system can help us to be more effective at communicating with our own species too!
If you want to learn more about how termites communicate or if you need an insect exterminator near Malaysia, please contact us for a free consultation today!