On the Internet, some friends discovered that some small bugs with wings appeared inexplicably in their homes. After searching online, I found that they are actually termites, but they look nothing like ants.
Help! Hundreds of termites were found in the house, and the family no longer wants them. Source: Xiaohongshu@bingcoke
Some friends discovered that there was a termite nest in their home after buying a second-hand house. If something like this happens to your home, it could be termites.
The termite nest in the house, photo source: Xiaohongshu@是Zzz吖
In addition, if you see some small wings appearing inexplicably on the ground at home, it may also mean that termites have entered your home. If not dealt with in time, this is just the beginning of a nightmare.
The small wings that look like the skin of melon seeds are probably left by termites. Source: Wikipedia
But aren’t termites white ants? Why do you still have wings? Also, where do termites come from in your home? Do termites really destroy a house? Today we will talk about these “house-eating” pests.
Termites ≠ white ants
The name termites can easily make people think that they are a special kind of ants. But in fact, termites and ants are two major types of organisms.
According to molecular biology research, termites actually belong to the order Isoptera of the order Blattella, the same order as cockroaches. Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera at the order level. In other words, termites are more closely related to cockroaches than to ants (I hope this can comfort those of you who have termites at home).
Fortunately, the shape and size of termites are more like ants than cockroaches, otherwise it would be even more of a nightmare. Moreover, the "social division of labor" of termites is also relatively close to that of ants.
In termite colonies, there are also worker ants who are responsible for foraging, building nests, and caring for larvae, as well as larger soldier ants who are mainly responsible for guarding.
But in addition to these termites that are responsible for working and guarding, there are also some reproductive ants in the colony that are specifically responsible for reproduction. Both king and queen ants fall into this category.
Different types of termites, A is the king, B is the queen, C and D are the secondary queens and tertiary queens. E is soldier ant, F is worker ant, picture source: Wikipedia
In addition to the king and queen, other breeding ants will also be produced in the ant nest. These breeding ants usually do not give birth to their own offspring in the nest where they were born.
During the breeding season (usually spring and summer each year), these breeding ants will grow two pairs of wings and fly out of the ant nest to search for termites of the opposite sex.
This process is called the nuptial flight, and the scene is quite spectacular. A large number of termites will fly out of the nest. Many birds will also be attracted and start feasting.
Termites with wings, image source: Wikipedia
Male and female termites that escape the predation of birds and "look at each other" will fly to a place suitable for them to live, dig their own ant nests here, and start to build their own kingdom.
In the future, this pair of termites will become the king and queen of the new kingdom (this is also the difference between them and ants, which generally do not have a king but a queen).
These are the signs that your home may be infested with termites
If you see termite worker ants or soldier ants in your home, then the possibility of termites in your home is very high. If the ant nest is not in your home, it may be in your neighbor's home. If your home is on a lower floor, it is not ruled out that it crawled in from the outside.
Termite workers, image source: Wikipedia
If you see "ants" with wings at home, don't panic at this time. They may have just flown in during the breeding season. They haven't had time to get into a certain place to make a home. At this time, you only need to eliminate them in time.
But if you find not only winged termites but also wings that have fallen off, be careful.
These wings were probably shed by termites that had found a nest. Seeing them may mean that termites have made their home in your home, but they may not have established a large termite family at this time.
If you are lucky enough to find future ant kings and queens around the wings, eliminating them may also nip the damage in the bud.
Termite wings appearing in netizens’ homes Source: Xiaohongshu blogger @一典
In other cases, although you don't see termites, you can hear rustling sounds coming from the wooden furniture or under the floor. This may also be a sign of termites.
Termites are almost silent when they eat wood. But if the soldier ants responsible for "expanding territory" find food or a threat, they may knock on the wood and make a sound that can be heard in the dead of night.
What's more serious is that if you find that the termites that flew in are not flying in from the outside, but crawling out from the door frame or floor of your home, there is no need to doubt it. This means that the termites have been in your home for a long time, and you should have a huge termite kingdom in your home.
Do termites cause a lot of damage?
Termites are a large family, and a large part of them have little interaction with human life. Many of them are important decomposers in nature, so it cannot be said that all termites are pests.
But if you have termites in your home, there’s no doubt that they can cause a lot of damage.
For example, for wooden houses, termite gnawing can cause devastating disasters. Long-term gnawing and termite nesting inside will cause the beams or columns of the wooden structure to lose their original supporting role, seriously threatening the personal safety of the occupants.
And even if it is not an all-wooden house, the wooden furniture and floors in your home may still be damaged by termites.
Therefore, once termites appear in your home, you must not take it lightly. Also, termites don’t just damage wooden homes. Some termites may also eat the plastic covering of electrical wires or gas pipes, causing leakage of electricity and air, posing serious safety risks.
What should you do if you have termites in your home?
If you unfortunately find termites in your home, it is best to contact a professional pest control company to come and deal with them.
After all, termite nests are hidden deep inside. As long as the nest is not uprooted, termites cannot be eradicated by just using insecticides or hitting them with slippers.
In addition, if you discover the possible location of a termite nest on your own, it is best not to deal with it yourself or use anything to block it. Doing so may not help professionals kill them.
Because some methods of killing termites use bait-type chemicals, the worker ants who go out to forage will bring these poisonous "food" back to the nest to share with their companions.
Once the companions, especially the king and queen, eat these foods, they will be poisoned and die, which will give them the opportunity to destroy the ant colony in one go.
Another method is to spray some parasitic fungi into the termite nest. These fungi do not harm human health, but they can become parasitic on termites and spread throughout the termite nest. If we use things to block the ant nests ourselves, it will be detrimental to these disinfecting methods.
Where do those nasty termites come from? Can it be prevented?
The main invasion method of termites is the aforementioned nuptial flight. After the nuptial flight finds a partner, they will start looking for a new home. Therefore, if you see nuptial termites around your home, you must pay attention to closing the doors and windows every spring and summer, and closing the screens when opening the windows for ventilation. It is best to turn off the lights at home to prevent them from taking advantage of the situation.
Netizens photographed termites flying during the plum rain season. Source: Xiaohongshu @PlanB
In addition, termites looking for a home will also look for an environment suitable for their survival, and they prefer moist environments.
During the termite season, try to keep your home dry and free of standing water. If there are cracks in the floor, find someone to repair them in time to avoid giving termites a chance to take advantage of them.
In short, compared to killing termites, prevention in advance is more important. But if termites appear in your home, don’t panic too much. After all, there are mature methods to eliminate termites. Just contact a professional company to come to your home for pest control in time.
Planning and production
This article is a work supported by the Science Popularization China·Creation Cultivation Program
Produced by Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology
Producer丨China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Galaxy Culture Media Co., Ltd.
Author丨Scientific scraps, popular science creator
Review丨Yin Haisheng, Director of Shanghai Insect Museum
Planning丨Zhang Linlin
Editor in charge丨Wang Mengru
Review | Xu Lai Zhang Linlin