All About Termite Larvae And Their Life Cycle
Termite larvae is one of the life cycle stages of these incredibly destructive insects. Often, homeowners mistake these bugs for ants depending on the size and species so incorrect preventative extermination methods are often taken. Unfortunately, this allows an established infestation the freedom to grow exponentially.
Termite are quite similar to ants in terms of appearance however, they only have two body segments while ants have three. Termites also display identical pairs of wings while the wings on ants can vary in sizes. Ants usually appear much darker in color as well since a termite's body is typically white or tan.
Another distinguishing characteristic of termites is that they build protective tunnels that are constructed out of fecal matter, saliva and mud that act as entry points for them to their food sources above the ground. These are generally constructed near an infested home's foundation.
Termite Eggs
Before termite larvae appears in your home, the laying of the eggs by the female is the beginning of the life cycle. Termite eggs actually look very similar to caviar except that they are smaller. They are translucent, white and oval in shape. Approximately two dozen eggs are laid for the queen's first clutch and then each clutch after that tends to decrease in numbers. Queens are fertile to lay eggs through their entire lives.
They are large enough to see with the naked eye but they are usually laid in some type of sheltered area such as an underground nest or the wall of your home.
Termite Larvae
Termites follow a typical life cycle, beginning as an egg, transitioning to larvae, working as a nymph and then finally ending in the adult reproductive stage. Termite larvae generally hatches a few weeks after the eggs were laid. They are around the same size as the eggs and the worker termites begin taking care of them immediately.
Unlike other types of pests such as carpet beetles, the termite larvae stage does not directly cause the home any damage however, they do require constant feeding so the worker termites have to continuously feed on wood to supply food to the larvae.
Like other insects, termite larvae undergoes a few molts where they shed their skin before they become an adult. Typically, this happens five times before they evolve into a working member of the colony.
The workers will move the larvae several times to avoid any intolerant or damaging temperatures and the colonies are designed strategically to assure that food can be brought to the larvae in a timely fashion.
Termite Adult
After the termite larvae molts a few times and becomes an adult, it has one of three jobs being soldier, worker or a reproductive female. Every caste displays its own distinct physical appearance. The workers are developmentally and sexually immature insects that construct tunnels and groom and feed other termite castes. The soldier termites have dramatically large heads, mandibles and are a yellowish brown color. The reproductive females are black and display two sets of identical wings. Soldiers and workers have a lifespan of approximately two years while a queen can live to be 50 years old in an optimal climate condition and with an adequate food source.
Termite Mounds And Nests
Termite colonies create their habitat and live in mounds or nests that are called termitariums. Depending on the species, a mud-based nest can be either above ground or subterranean, both created from dirt. Also, nests will often be attached to a tree, piece of wood or stem for a water and food source. An underground nest can spread out over 300 feet while above ground mounds in Australia and Africa have been reported at a remarkable 20 feet high.