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Drywood Termites
Drywood termites are social insects that form colonies in sound, dry wood. The colony is composed by three castes of termites: reproductives, soldiers and workers (pseudergates). The termite passes through three growth stages: egg, worker and adult.
Caste Characteristics
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Workers
- Wingless
- White to grayish in color
- Increasing in size with age
- Make up the largest number if individuals within a colony.
- Eventually become either a reproductive or a soldier termite.
- Feed on wood and cause the real damage caused by a termite colony.
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Soldiers
- Resemble workers in color and general appearance.
- Have large well-developed heads
- Heads are brownish to yellowish-brown in color
- Have strong mandiblesused for defense
- Body is app. 5/16 in (8mm) in length
- Protects and defends the colony from outside invaders such as ants and other temites.
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Alates
- Vary in color from dark brown to light yellowish tan
- Initially winged but lose their wings a few minutes after swarming.
- Wings almost clear to smoky-gray
- Wings have few distinct veins in them
- Body is 7/16-9/16 in (11-14 mm) in length
- Produces all of the eggs in the colony
DamageDamage to wood, though seldom apparent, definitely indicates a past or present infestation of drywood termites. These termites consume both the harder summerwood and the soft springwood of timbers. This leaves a sculptured appearance to their galleries. Fecal pellets (Fig. 5) will be present in the galleries. Drywood termites like Formosan termites will consume some summerwood.
Distribution
Drywood termites are found throughout the state of Texas. However, the highest concentrations are found along the Gulf Coast.