Formosan Termites

The formal name for the Formosan termite is Coptotermes formosanus which is native to southern china and has spread to other regions of the world such as South Africa and Hawaii during the 20^th century. This is one of the most destructive species of termites and for that reason it is also commonly referred to as the super termite because it is able to do so much damage in such a small amount of time. The reason why these termites are so destructive is due to the large colony size which can range from 300,000 up to five million depending on the maturity of the colony. Within the United States these termites are typically found within the southern areas of California, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Hawaii. 

     Formosan termites have been known to destroy a variety of structures such as ships, barges, homes and even electrical cables which have caused many power outages in these affected areas. In a Formosan termite colony you will find a queen, king, swarmer’s and soldiers along with the young reproductive kings and queens. These termites typically forma a very large nest within the ground which will then release swarmer’s out into the area to locate a mate from a different colony to form a new colony. A new colony may take many years to grow and establish themselves as a mature colony. The colonies typically begin in the ground under the frost line and above the water table. Here they will form tunnels which are called shelter tubes which will allow them to access a nearby food source.

      Although the primary source of food for Formosan termites is wood which contains cellulose, cardboard, paper and other materials have also been known to be the primary food source for colonies of these types of termites.  The size of the termites, the size of the colony and the fitness of the colony all greatly depend on the nutritional content of the food source which is primarily consumed. The lifecycle of these termites can take quite a while to fully develop. When the swarmer termites find a mate, they then need to locate an ideal location for their nest where the queen will then lay eggs within just a few days. The first batch of young is then fed by the queen and king until they are large enough to take on their individual roles within the colonies.

    In the event that something happens to the queen or king of the colony, some of the other young reproductive termites will then begin the role of reproduction and take over the role of the active king and queen of the colony. The soldiers of the colony are the members who do the most work such as taking care of the larvae,  feeding the soldiers, tending to the eggs, protecting the colony from predators, searching for food sources and even maintaining and building the nest. The swarmer’s are in charge of relocating and finding mates to help continue the survival of the species and the king and queen are merely in charge of reproduction.