Termite Pest Control Service

Signs & Dangers of Austin Termite Infestations

Color: Varies by caste member; workers, soldiers and swarmers are all different colors ranging from milky white to dark gray

Characteristics: Termites are social insects living in colonies, some with as many as 2 million members, with each colony member having their own job to do.

Size: Varies by caste member, but generally range from 1/8 of an inch to 3/8 of an inch.

Potentially Dangerous: Yes, definitely to your property

Description: Subterranean termite colonies consist of three different types of termites: workers, soldiers and swarmers.

Termite Workers

Workers are the smallest, measuring only around 1/8 of an inch long. These are wingless and soft-bodied bugs that vary in color from white to gray-white. They are the most numerous in a colony and are the ones that do the actual wood eating.

Termite Soldiers

Soldiers look a lot like the worker termites, but are larger and have rectangular heads that are yellowish-brown. They also have a prominent set of jaws that are used to help defend the colony.

Termite Swarmers

Swarmers are the ones that are responsible for keeping the population going. They are 3/8 of an inch long, including their wings and can be male or female. They vary in color; sometimes they are black and can range to yellowish-brown.

Nesting Sites: Termites feed on the cellulose that is found in dead plant materials including leaf litter, wood, soil and dung. A termite infestation is possible if any of these materials are present on your property or even on your neighbor’s property. You may also have or develop a termite problem if you experience a termite swarm in or around your structure.

Dangers

Termites aren’t dangerous to the health of humans, but they can really cause trouble for the structure of your home or business. Because termites primarily eat wood, they can destroy the internal structure of your home, causing wooden beams and boards to become structurally unsound and eventually collapse, which could eventually cause injury to people inside the structure.