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Coptotermes
formosanus
Characteristics –
Size: Alates, or swarmers, are about 1/2-inch overall
length, including the wings.
Color: Alates are yellowish brown
Just like other subterranean termite species, Formosan termites
hatch from eggs as nymphs and later develop into one of the three
castes that make up the colony's society: reproductives, soldiers or
workers.* Reproductives include the king and queen, winged alates
(swarmers), and supplemental reproductives. * Winged alates are
primary reproductives that eventually fly out of the colony in
swarms and attempt to establish new colonies.* Supplemental
reproductives remain in the original colony to assist in egg
production to keep the colony growing. They look like a large
version of the worker except that they have undeveloped wing buds.*
Soldiers comprise 10 to 15 percent of the Formosan colony, compared
to 1 to 3 percent in a native subterranean termite colony. Their
teardrop-shaped heads have large, forward-projecting mouthparts
called mandibles. The soldier's job is to protect the colony, and
they will aggressively attack anything that disturbs it. * Workers
and nymphs represent the majority of the colony. They are
responsible for foraging food; constructing shelter tubes;
maintaining and enlarging the nest; and caring for the
reproductives, soldiers, eggs and newly hatched nymphs.
Behavior –
Formosan termite colonies begin small, with a single pair of
reproductives - a king and a queen - but may grow to contain several
million individual termites. Initially, the king and queen establish
the new colony by producing 15 to 30 eggs. Two to four weeks later,
the nymphs hatch and are nursed by the reproductives. The queen
deposits a second batch of eggs one to two months later. The first
batch of nymphs takes over the nursing responsibilities. The first
new termites produced are workers. As the colony grows, soldiers are
produced and finally, three to five years after the colony is
started, winged reproductives are produced. A mature queen can live
more than 15 years and deposit as many as 1,000 eggs per day. A
mature colony may produce more than 20,000 reproductive alates each
year. Alates, or swarmers, do not reproduce in their original
colonies. They swarm out of the colony by the thousands along with
alates from nearby colonies. Each alate attempts to pair with an
alate of the opposite sex from a different colony. Few survive this
quest. Those that are successful become the kings and queens of the
new colonies. Swarming usually follows a warm, rainy day in late
spring or early summer, most often in May and June, and typically
occurs in the evening between twilight and midnight.
Habitat – In addition to huge underground colony
systems - often 10 times larger than those of other subterranean
species - Formosan termites build carton (mud) nests within the
walls and other enclosed spaces of a structure. These nests may
serve as residences for tens of thousands of individual termites and
as reservoirs of moisture to sustain them during dry periods. Found
primarily in tropical and sub-tropical climates, Formosan termite
colonies have been established all over Hawaii, in Charleston, South
Carolina, and along the Gulf Coast, including several parts of
Florida; Galveston, Texas; New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
and Auburn and Mobile, Alabama. Individual Formosan sites have also
been discovered in places such as San Diego, California; Atlanta,
Georgia; and Memphis, Tennessee. Formosan termites are considered
more vigorous and aggressive than other subterranean species.
Because Formosan termite colonies can contain several million
individuals, they can cause damage at an accelerated rate, with a
mature colony causing significant damage to a structure in a
relatively short time. Formosans are also more difficult to control
than native species when using traditional liquid soil treatments.
Unlike other subterranean whose colonies are almost exclusively
underground, Formosans can establish secondary aerial nests with no
connection to the ground. Called carton nests, they are usually
found inside walls, under cabinetry, and in other enclosed voids
within a building.
Tips for Control – Formosan subterranean
termites are difficult to control once they have invaded a
structure. For that reason, prevention should be the first line of
defense. If a Formosan colony is found within a structure, quick
action is required to minimize potential structural damage. When the
soil of an infested structure is treated to stop their entry, the
individuals already in the structure may form an independent nest
above ground and avoid the treated soil.
Prevention:
 | Use
wood pressure treated with preservatives that make it more
resistant to termite attack.
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| Correct
any sources of excess moisture - leaky plumbing, air
conditioning condensation, poor drainage, inadequate ventilation
- to deny the termites an additional moisture supply.
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| Contract
with a professional pest control company, such as Curtis Pest Control ,
to regularly
inspect your home to detect a termite infestation and then treat
it accordingly.
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| Eliminate
all wood-to-soil and rigid foam board-to-ground contact.
Remove any wood debris. |
Control options:
| Place
a termiticide barrier in the soil between the termites and the
wood structure.
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| If
the structure is already infested, locate the carton nests for
localized treatment, or fumigate the entire structure.
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| Above
ground bait stations may also be necessary if the structure is
already infested.
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| Control
aerial colonies by correcting excess moisture conditions and by
fumigation or installation of above-ground termite baiting
stations.
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| Remove
cartons and locally treat those areas with appropriate products. |
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