Termite Castes
About Termite Castes
A termite nest consist of different caste types. Below is a list of some of the different castes that can be found in a termite nest. Click here
to view summary.
Workers
These make up the majority of a termite colony or nest. Their job is to build and repair the nest and gallery systems. They are also responsible for collecting food (damaging timber) and feeding the other members of the colony. They are blind, sterile and wingless.
Soldiers
This caste is responsible for protecting the colony. Their defence mechanisms will change depending on the species of the termites. Most consists of one of the follow, biting, chemical attack by secreting toxic or repellent chemicals, and physical barriers using their bodies.
Alates
These are winged reproductive which are released from the colony at a particular time of the year to fly off in order to find a mate and start a new colony.
They are usually released on a warm humid evening and can sometimes be described as looking like smoke coming out of the ground.
They have compound eyes, are often large than the soldiers and workers and will grow through the different stages until fully developed where they are winged. They may be selected as supplementary kings and queens.
Nymphs
This is the worker of primitive species. There is no true worker caste which means the nymph moults until it reaches an advanced stage of growth.
These advanced stages can be feeding and moulting without differentiation into any particular caste, moulting to a soldier, moulting to an alate (reproductive termite). Termites in the other species have the workers, soldiers and reproductive determined very early on in their nymphal development.
Kings
The king & queen initiate the colony and produce hundreds to thousands of fertilized eggs per day. They establish the colony and feed and care for the young until there are enough workers to take over the nursery.
Queens
The Queen is confined to her royal chamber and is tended to and fed by the workers. She may become enlarged over time and can become as big as 3 cm in length. She can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day and has been known to live over 20 years.
Stewarts Pest Control -
Who Are We?
Stewarts Pest Control -
Who Are We?
We are a family-owned and operated business established in 1954. Being one of the first Pest Control companies in Perth WA, we have almost 70 years’ experience in the industry and pride ourselves on our knowledge, skill and most importantly, our old fashion service. When Phil Stewart founded the business, he knew of the importance of not only the job but the customer. Today we still have the honour of servicing those same customers 60 years...
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