There are many different types of subterranean termites which are found in various regions of the world. The Eastern subterranean termite is one of the most widely distributed types of termite in the US with colonies being found as far west as Utah all the way to the east coast. These termites tend to swarm in the spring time typically right after a warm rain because Easter termites thrive in a warm and moist environment. Within the colonies of eastern termites you will find the king and queen as well as young kings and queens, soldiers and worker termites. The queen termite is very large in size in comparison to the others and is able to lay more than 2000 eggs each day and can live up to 25 years. The king and queen live in close quarters with one another where their need are tended to by the workers who make up the largest part of the colony.
Formosan termites are amongst the most
aggressive of the subterranean termites and are commonly found in the warm
climates such as those in the southern part of the Unites States including
Teas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida and South
Carolina. These termites form the largest colonies of all of the subterranean
termites with millions of termites being found in a single colony. Due to the
large colony size these termites have the potential to cause great damage to
homes and other structures within only a few months. These termites tend to
swarm in the late evening hours when conditions are humid. A moist area which
is near a food source is the primary location where Formosan termites will
start up a new colony. Although nests tend to start at ground level they can
have multiple colonies on other levels of a home as well as long as there is a
source of moisture nearby.
Western Subterranean termites are a type
of termite which is found in Washington State, Oregon, California, Idaho,
Nevada, British Columbia and the western parts of Mexico. These termites have
caused a great problem in southern and central California where they have
reproduced in mass quantities and plagued the area. Because the western
subterranean termites feed on Douglas fir and other common building materials,
they can often be quite destructive to homes and other buildings. The regions
affected by this type of termites are prone to infestation in one in five homes
in the area due to the overabundance of these pests. If you see large winged
swarmer termites in the warm summer months, this is a sign that there is a
mature colony nearby within a close enough range to cause damage to your home.
The final species of subterranean termites
is the desert subterranean termites which are found in areas of the US such as
Arizona, northern and southern California and occasionally in some areas of
Texas as well. Because this type of termite can live in dead and decaying
desert plants such as cactus, these termites are the most common type of
termite found in Arizona. These termites are the smallest of all of the
subterranean termites and are not dependent on decay and moisture like the
other subterranean varieties of termites. The desert termite is able to form
drop tubes from the ceiling of buildings and other structures and can even form
on surfaces such as plasterboard and sheetrock. Because of their small size,
these types of termites are able to enter through small gaps as small as 1/32”
which are located within the joints of bricks, small gaps between roofing
shingles or even through tiny cracks in concrete flooring.
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