Dampwood Termite
Family Hodotermitidae

Characteristics
Size: King and queen bodies range from 1/2- to 5/8-inch. Nymphs range up to 5/8-inch. Soldiers range up to 3/4-inch in length.
Color: Kings and queens are brownish in color.

Kings and queens have two pair of wings that are equal in size and shape and extend well beyond the tip of the abdomen. They shed their wings after brief dispersal flights.

Behavior
Dampwood termites are social insects that live in colonies consisting of several specialized forms. A mature colony may release "swarmers" (winged males and females) in late spring through fall, depending on the species. The swarmers have well-developed eyes, are pigmented in various shades of brown, and often have wings that are "smoky" in appearance. After pairing, males and females will shed their wings and may infest stumps and fallen logs. They now become the king and queen of a new, developing colony. The majority of the dampwood colony consists of nymphs (immatures) that are pale and soft-bodied. Although they have no true worker caste, the nymphs perform the basic "house-keeping" duties similar to subterranean workers. This involves enlarging the gallery system, tending to the needs of the king and queen, care of the eggs and newly hatched young, and obtaining food for other colony members. As nymphs mature, they become reproductives (alates) or soldiers. The soldiers have pale, soft bodies, but large, dark, hard-shelled heads with powerful mandibles. The soldiers defend the colony against invasion by ants. Because their mandibles are so specialized, they are unable to feed themselves, and must rely on care from the nymphs. Physically, dampwood termites are larger than the subterranean and drywood termites, and the dampwood soldier can be quite formidable in appearance.

Habitat
While subterranean termites may be found in every state except Alaska , the dampwood termites are much more limited in geographic distribution. They can be found mainly in the coastal mountains and inland mountains of California , Oregon and Washington , and to a limited degree in Arizona and Nevada . Florida is home to a common species of dampwood termite. As their name implies, dampwood termites infest wood that has an excessive moisture condition, and therefore are not often found in structures.

Tips for Control
Because dampwood termites infest wood with excessive moisture content, it is unlikely they would infest a structure. However, leaky plumbing, faulty gutters or downspouts, or snow drifts against wood exteriors could result in the moisture levels required for infestation by dampwood termites.

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Drywood Termite
Family Kalotermitidae

Characteristics
Size: Soldiers measure 3/8-inch in length; male and female reproductives grow to 1/2-inch long. During the winged stage there are four equal size wings that extend longer than the body by 1/8- to 1/4-inch.
Color: Usually pale brown.

Drywood termites have soft bodies and are cylindrical in shape. They have six legs, compound eyes and chewing mandibles.

Behavior
Drywood termites are social insects that live in colonies. The colonies are composed of kings, queens and soldiers. There is no worker caste as in subterranean colonies. The work is performed by immature termites before they become adults. King and queen termites perform the reproductive functions of the colony. They are light to dark brown and 1/3- to 3/8-inch in length. Soldiers guard the colony against invaders such as ants. They are pale, cream colored and wingless with large brownish heads and jaws. The nymphs (immatures), which are the most numerous caste, are pale, cream colored and wingless. The soldiers and immatures remain inside the wood at all times.

Habitat
Drywood termites infest only dry wood and are most often found in attic wood framing as they do not require contact with the soil. They obtain moisture from the water produced by the digestion of cellulose. Winged reproductives fly from an existing colony, pair and fly to new dry wood areas, enter a small hole in the wood, and start to form a colony. Colonies will contain up to 2,500 members.

Tips for Control
There are some things a property owner can do to help prevent drywood termite infestation:

• Store firewood and lumber away from the house.
• Use 20-mesh screen on all windows and doors, and especially at ventilation openings for attics and crawl spaces.
• Exposed wood that is sealed with a uniform coating of paint, varnish or other sealant will help prevent easy access by drywood termites. Be sure to seal nail holes and cracks.

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Formosan Subterranean Termite
Coptotermes formosanus

Characteristics
Size: Alates, or swarmers, are about 1/2-inch overall length, including the wings.
Color: Alates are yellowish brown.

Just like other subterranean termite species, Formosan termites hatch from eggs as nymphs and later develop into one of the three castes that make up the colony's society: reproductives, soldiers or workers.* Reproductives include the king and queen, winged alates (swarmers), and supplemental reproductives. * Winged alates are primary reproductives that eventually fly out of the colony in swarms and attempt to establish new colonies.* Supplemental reproductives remain in the original colony to assist in egg production to keep the colony growing. They look like a large version of the worker except that they have undeveloped wing buds.* Soldiers comprise 10 to 15 percent of the Formosan colony, compared to 1 to 3 percent in a native subterranean termite colony. Their teardrop-shaped heads have large, forward-projecting mouthparts called mandibles. The soldier's job is to protect the colony, and they will aggressively attack anything that disturbs it. * Workers and nymphs represent the majority of the colony. They are responsible for foraging food; constructing shelter tubes; maintaining and enlarging the nest; and caring for the reproductives, soldiers, eggs and newly hatched nymphs.

Behavior
Formosan termite colonies begin small, with a single pair of reproductives - a king and a queen - but may grow to contain several million individual termites. Initially, the king and queen establish the new colony by producing 15 to 30 eggs. Two to four weeks later, the nymphs hatch and are nursed by the reproductives. The queen deposits a second batch of eggs one to two months later. The first batch of nymphs takes over the nursing responsibilities. The first new termites produced are workers. As the colony grows, soldiers are produced and finally, three to five years after the colony is started, winged reproductives are produced. A mature queen can live more than 15 years and deposit as many as 1,000 eggs per day. A mature colony may produce more than 20,000 reproductive alates each year. Alates, or swarmers, do not reproduce in their original colonies. They swarm out of the colony by the thousands along with alates from nearby colonies. Each alate attempts to pair with an alate of the opposite sex from a different colony. Few survive this quest. Those that are successful become the kings and queens of the new colonies. Swarming usually follows a warm, rainy day in late spring or early summer, most often in May and June, and typically occurs in the evening between twilight and midnight.

Habitat
In addition to huge underground colony systems - often 10 times larger than those of other subterranean species - Formosan termites build carton (mud) nests within the walls and other enclosed spaces of a structure. These nests may serve as residences for tens of thousands of individual termites and as reservoirs of moisture to sustain them during dry periods. Found primarily in tropical and sub-tropical climates, Formosan termite colonies have been established all over Hawaii , in Charleston , South Carolina , and along the Gulf Coast , including several parts of Florida ; Galveston , Texas ; New Orleans and Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; and Auburn and Mobile , Alabama . Individual Formosan sites have also been discovered in places such as San Diego , California ; Atlanta , Georgia ; and Memphis , Tennessee . Formosan termites are considered more vigorous and aggressive than other subterranean species. Because Formosan termite colonies can contain several million individuals, they can cause damage at an accelerated rate, with a mature colony causing significant damage to a structure in a relatively short time. Formosans are also more difficult to control than native species when using traditional liquid soil treatments. Unlike other subterranean whose colonies are almost exclusively underground, Formosans can establish secondary aerial nests with no connection to the ground. Called carton nests, they are usually found inside walls, under cabinetry, and in other enclosed voids within a building.

Tips for Control
Formosan subterranean termites are difficult to control once they have invaded a structure. For that reason, prevention should be the first line of defense. If a Formosan colony is found within a structure, quick action is required to minimize potential structural damage. When the soil of an infested structure is treated to stop their entry, the individuals already in the structure may form an independent nest above ground and avoid the treated soil.

Prevention:

• Use wood pressure treated with preservatives that make it more resistant to termite attack.
• Correct any sources of excess moisture - leaky plumbing, air conditioning condensation, poor drainage, inadequate ventilation - to deny the termites an additional moisture supply.
• Contract with a professional pest control company to regularly inspect your home to detect a termite infestation and then treat it accordingly.
• Eliminate all wood-to-soil and rigid foam board-to-ground contact. Remove any wood debris.

Control options:

• Place a termiticide barrier in the soil between the termites and the wood structure.
• If the structure is already infested, locate the carton nests for localized treatment, or fumigate the entire structure.
• Above ground bait stations may also be necessary if the structure is already infested.
• Control aerial colonies by correcting excess moisture conditions and by fumigation or installation of above-ground termite baiting stations.
• Remove cartons and locally treat those areas with appropriate products.

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Subterranean Termite
Family Rhinotermitidae

Characteristics
Size: Worker: 1/8- to 3/8-inch in length. Soldier: Body is similar to that of the worker, but large, deck head with powerful mandibles. Supplementary Reproductive: About one inch in length. Primary Reproductive: About one inch in length.
Color: Worker: Pale, cream colored. Soldier: Light colored with brown head. Supplementary Reproductive: Light colored. Primary Reproductive: Dark brown/black.

Soldiers have an elongated head with pincer-like mandibles. Supplementary Reproductives have either no wings or very short non-functional wings, while Primary Reproductives have four wings of equal size until they are shed. Primary Reproductives are the termites most often seen in the open. They are commonly referred to as "swarmers."

Behavior
This termite is known to swarm in spring, but small flights can occur at any time of the year. Swarming is the visible means that termites use to establish new colonies. As the colony grows, specialized castes are produced for the different tasks required. One caste produced is the workers. Another caste is the soldiers. And a third caste is the reproductives. Primary reproductives swarm and start new colonies. They are called alates or swarmers. Although thousands of primary reproductives may be produced each year, they all leave the nest. Supplementary reproductives, on the other hand, can become reproductive only in the colonies in whch they were born. They assit the primary king and queen in population growth of the colony.

Habitat
Subterranean termites live in colonies in the ground, building vertical tunnels that look like mud tubes above ground level so that they can search for food. Because subterranean termites will die if exposed to air for an extended period of time, the tunnels provide protection from the open air, allowing workers to carry food to the nest. Subterranean termites can form tunnels through cracks in concrete, so slab homes are not exempt from these termites. They need to stay in contact with the soil in order to survive, unlike drywood termites that only
need low moisture.

Tips for Control
There are several things a homeowner can do which can help prevent termite infestations or make them easier to detect.

• Store firewood away from the house.
• Make sure at least four inches of the foundation can be seen all around the home. Siding should not extend into the soil. Mulch and soil should not touch the siding.
• Make sure water drains away from the foundation to ensure water does not accumulate. Rain gutters are ideal; however, the downspout should direct the water
  away from the home.
• Roof or plumbing leaks can allow termites to survive above ground in a house. These should be corrected as soon as possible.

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