There are many species of termite is this country including subterranean, soil-feeding, drywood, dampwood, and grass-eating; they live in every state except Alaska. The types we are most concerned with are Eastern Subterranean Termites, Reticulitermes flavipes. Subterranean termites are social insects that live in “nests” or “colonies” in the soil, hence their name “subterranean.” “Sub” – meaning beneath and “terra” – meaning earth or soil. Termites cause more than $2 billion in damage each year, more property damage than that caused by fire and windstorm combined.

Subterranean Termite Risk in the United States

Suiter DR, Jones SC, Forschler BT. Biology of subterranean termites in the Eastern United States. Bulletin 1209. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University Extension

Subterranean termites get their fuel from wood and other material containing cellulose. Cellulose is a rich energy source (and is extremely popular not only with termites, but with loads of other bugs as well), but can be difficult to digest. Subterranean termites cannot digest what they eat directly; they must depend on large numbers of one-celled animals (protozoa) living in their bodies to break down the cellulose to acetic acid, which termites can then digest. (In short, termites eat protozoa poop.)

Paper, cotton, burlap and other plant products are attacked and consumed by termites. Any material in direct contact with the soil -- such as trees, vines or plumbing and A/C fixtures (see Do I Need Termite Coverage?) -- can be a termite highway. Termites can enter buildings through wood in direct contact with the soil, by building shelter tubes over or through foundations, or by entering directly through cracks or joints in and under foundations. We would all love to believe that concrete remains an impenetrable block, however as it shifts with the ground, hairline fissures and cracks can (and do) occur.

It is important to be able to tell ant swarmers apart from termite swarmers. Often it is very difficult, termites and ant both swarm the same places (basements, window sills) and in similar numbers. Once you have the bug in hand, it is relatively easy to tell them apart. Ants have very distinctly “pinched” waists, very visible to the naked eye, or eye with reading glasses on as they case may be for some folks. Termites are pretty visibly oval shaped and have two pairs of wings. Ants have a single pair of wings and have jointed antenna.

Both are pretty destructive and can cause a homeowner loads of problems. So in either case, call us to come check it out.

House & Landscape Pest Series produced by the Department of Entomology,
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475.
Series Editor: M. Merchant.

Check out our Lillian article on Termites - It’s Not If It’s When

Formosan subterranean termites are feeding on Sudan-red-stained filter paper. Tracking the termites stained with this dye allows researchers to estimate their foraging range and population numbers. Photo by Scott Bauer.

From the USDA Agricultural Research Service

Twelve Alabama counties have been infested by the Formosan (Coptotermes formosanus) subterranean termite. Formosan subterranean termites were first found in Alabama in the 1987. Records show that the infestations have occurred in and around structures or trees in residential areas, and most are associated with the introduction of used railroad cross-ties as landscaping timber. Their migration also shows a clear pattern of the range expansion along main interstate highways, possibly indicating that the spread is aided by human transportation of infested materials. The two gulf coastal counties, Mobile and Baldwin, have the highest number of Formosan termite infestations and where its distribution should considered widespread posing the greatest threat to consumers.

The Formosan subterranean termite is native to China. It has been introduced into Japan, Guam, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Hawaii. It arrived in the continental United States on military ships returning from World War II and carrying supplies from the Pacific. It was first discovered at a Houston, Texas, shipyard in 1965. A year later well-established colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite were discovered in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana, and in Houston and Galveston, Texas.