The Formosan Termites
Formosan Termites are considered one of the most aggressive and widely-spread species of termites. This invasive termite species is also nicknamed a super termite because of its extensive destructive ability. Once they start to pierce through any wood, they can cause serious damage.HOW TO IDENTIFY FORMOSAN TERMITES
Appearance
Formosan termites have a yellowish-brown colored body which lets them merge inside the wood they are attacking. It’s difficult to notice them at first sight.
They have a slender body with an egg-shaped head. They usually are ½ inch long, whereas their swarmers are shorter in size and are just 14-15 mm long. Their translucent wings are equal to their body size and are covered with hairs, whereas their mandibles lack teeth.
Behavior
Formosan Termites prefer to live in warm and humid climatic conditions. In their bodies, they even construct water-retention structures so they don’t have to go back to the ground.
They have large colonies, and each colony can produce up to 1000 eggs daily. It helps them to quickly expand over other wooden structures. They feed upon anything that’s comprised of wood fiber, like plants, trees, building structures, etc.
Swarmers are attracted toward light. Therefore, they can be seen outside the wood, flying around.
Signs
The signs of a Formosan termite colony are swarmers flying around your wooden structure and discarded wings near lights, doors and windows.
Though they are subterranean termites, they are also known for constructing aerial nests in the wooden structures they infest. When they infest a building or structure, soil shelter tubes can be seen above ground and on walls.
These are about 0.25-0.5-inch-wide tubes, which are used to connect soil tubes with the house. These tubes are filled with worker and soldier termites and can be seen after breaking them. Presence of these tubes indicates a serious termite problem.